Jetboil Flash Personal Cook System Review

Gear

Photo: www.jetboil.com — Jetboil Flash Personal Cook System

Jet-boil’s all-in-one, personal cooking systems combine the burner and cooking vessel in a single unit that will fit in day hatches for easy access. Light the system with the push of a button and you can make soup, brew coffee, prepare a freezedried meal or two cups of cocoa on the spot. The stove can be expanded with pot or pan add-ons but the beauty of a Jetboil is its no-nonsense configuration—one piece means a safer stove and no accidental spills.

www.jetboil.com • $100

This article originally appeared in Adventure Kayak, Summer/Fall 2012. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.

Paddle The British Columbia Marine Trail Network

Photo: Sander Jain — British Columbia Marine Trail Network

The numbers are staggering: an estimated 27,000 kilometers (16,750 miles) of coastline; 1,500 potential sites, including launch points, rest stops and camp sites; 10 paddling clubs and two official trails already open with a combined total of 179 sites. The British Columbia Marine Trail Network (BCMTN) has arrived.

Born nearly 20 years ago in the tidal mind of West Coast kayak pioneer and author of Kayak Routes of the Pacific Northwest Coast, Peter McGee, the BCMTN vision has been a long time coming. In the early 1990s, McGee envisioned a marine trail that would connect paddle strokes from Washington to Alaska. McGee’s ambitious project foresaw increasing pressures on popular and critical kayaking campsites and rest stops from both private land interests and heavy industry, and had the goal of mapping and securing permanent access for paddlers up the entire coast.

After a flurry of activity, including a mid-coast survey and the creation of a campsite at Valdes Island’s Blackberry Point, as well as a rest stop and toilet on Saltspring Island’s Musgrave Point, the association lost steam and by the late 1990s the BCMTN vision began to blur.

Nearly 15 years later, with pressure mounting on popular paddling sites, mainly by private landholders, the movement re-awoke with new energy and support from the B.C. Government’s Recreational Sites and Trails program.

Parksville’s Stephanie Meinke is the president of the BCMTN Association and has been working hard with a small army of volunteers to identify, ground-proof and begin adding the sites to the growing list of official B.C. Marine Trails Recreation Sites.

“Campsites vary,” explains Meinke. “Most do not need any form of booking as they are completely undeveloped wilderness sites. Other sites in parks may require a fee and may have prebooking options, such as those in the Gulf Islands National Marine Park Reserve. We will be adding some commercial campsites and even strategically located B&Bs and resorts shortly.”

“We are continuing to identify prospective new sites to propose to Recreation Sites and Trails B.C.,” says Meinke, “concentrating on the rest of the Vancouver Island coastline and adjoining islands for now. We are also developing our website to become a comprehensive first stop for information on the B.C. Marine Trails Network and its sites.”

The B.C. Marine Trails Network website and online interactive map launched this spring at bcmarinetrails.org. With detailed satellite imagery and info on access, water availability and marine hazards, the map offers paddlers a glimpse into the grandiose scheme of creating the world’s longest marine trail.

And the association never rests. Due to the scope of the initiative, they anticipate the completion of the trail to take several years. The seemingly endless work of installing signage for access and launch sites, filling in the existing network of sites and, finally, expanding the BCMTN north to Alaska is ongoing.

Dave Quinn is a wildlife biologist, guide and writer based in Kimberley, British Columbia.

This article originally appeared in Adventure Kayak, Early Summer 2012. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.

Editorial: The Addictive Quality Of Greenland Style Kayaking

Stories

Photo: Virginia Marshall — Greenland Style Kayaking

“It’s a seal! Kill it!”

The projectiles whipped past my head in quick succession—neon Nerf missiles intent on annihilation. In desperation I dove under the dark water, resurfacing for air several yards beyond the bombardment. Thwak-splash! The hunters were still after me.

Who knew a posse of civil servants, schoolteachers, nurses and kayak instructors possessed such blood lust?

Okay, granted, my first introduction to Greenland-style kayaking found me in the water, not in a kayak. But as a wily member of a pod of neoprene-blubber, pinniped protagonists in a Greenland Games mock seal hunt, I at least had an up-close perspective on paddling stick.

Numerous years and Greenland-style gatherings later, my perspective has expanded to include an appreciation of the fascinating history, traditional skills, remarkable personalities and beautiful handcrafted equipment that are shaping this growing niche.

Following the opening of the Greenland Kayaking Championships to foreign competitors in 2000 (turn to “Full Immersion” on page 39 for a history of the competition here), traditional skills and equipment began to creep into the North American paddling scene.

Where a decade ago only a couple of pioneering organizers united stickheads, there is now a slew of trad symposia, workshops and trips from coast to coast.

Kayakers with a wide range of backgrounds and interests populate today’s Greenland-style tribe. Some are curious Euro-bladers lured by the hand-carved wooden beauty and affordable price tag of a skinny stick. Others are new to the sport and have heard that the low volume boats and buoyant blades make learning to roll a cinch. Then there are the dedicated pool jockeys who spend the frosty winter months building their repertoire of Greenland rolls, of which there are 30-odd variations with improbable-sounding names and challenging biomechanics to match (Our favorite? The walrus pull).

The ultimate accomplishment in Greenland rolling—the straightjacket roll—requires such flexibility, poise and precise technique that only the very best traditional aficionados can pull it off. These folks are passionate, frequently eccentric and wildly enthusiastic about bringing Greenland-style to the kayaking masses.

Two such leaders are Turner Wilson and Cheri Perry, the globetrotting gurus behind Kayak Ways, a Maine-based traditional skills and boat building school. Wilson calls his kayaking evangelism, “spreading the Green virus.”

It is an apt metaphor, for those who catch it are infected by a single-minded focus. I once spent an entire summer touring with my stick, logging 800 kilometers on a paddle I shaped with my own hands. My friend, Tammy, a 60-something retiree, has mastered nearly a dozen different rolls in just a few winters of weekly pool time and says it’s boosted her confidence immensely on open-water tours.

Which brings me back to the “seal” hunters, whose madness could only be the symptom of an increasingly common affliction: the Green virus.

This article originally appeared in Adventure Kayak, Early Summer 2012. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.

Daily Photo: Engulfed

Photo: Big Dubya — Daily Photo: Engulfed

Where’s your favorite place to paddle? Email us a photo at [email protected].

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: Practical Learning

Photo: U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Northeast Region — Kayaks with view

Sure beats sitting in a classroom.

This photo is was taken by Flickr user U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Northeast Region and licensed under Creative Commons. Want to see your photo here? Send to [email protected] with subject line Daily Photo.

Daily Photo: Perfect Day

Nothing like a day for fishing.

This photo is was taken by Fotopedia user Stan Oleson and licensed under Creative Commons. Want to see your photo here? Send to [email protected] with subject line Daily Photo.

Kayak Repair: How To Fix a Cracked Kayak

Repairing a cracked kayak is what nightmares are made of, but there is no reason you can’t fix your trusted plastic boat and turn that nightmare into more pleasant memories.

Kayak repair guru Jamie Dors of Paddle Sports Repairs walks us through this straightforward, but sometimes sticky, fix. Sorry, but you’ll need to find a new excuse to buy a new boat.

Icy temperatures and craggy runs make spring paddling a recipe for cracked boats, but this is possible all-year round from collisions with rocky shorelines, pins or other random events. However it happened, these are the kayak repair tips you need to know to get back on the water.

Repairing a plastic kayak

Not all polyethylene is created equal. Most manufacturers use layered high-density polyethylene (HDPE). Alternatively, a few boats out there, including Jackson Kayak’s Elite lineup, are made of a variation called high-density crosslinked polyethylene (HDXLPE).

[ Paddling Buyer’s Guide: View all polyethylene kayaks ]

Both types of poly are weldable, but HDXLPE is a lot trickier. “Its melting point is very close to its burning point,” Dors warns. This makes not scorching HDXLPE more difficult for most people without professional experience and highly specialized equipment. If you’re not sure what type of plastic you’re working with, contact the manufacturer.

Kayak repair kit

You can weld plastic with either a heat gun or plastic welding iron. Learning how to fix a cracked kayak can take time. “The key is providing direct and constant heat,” Dors says. Hot air can pool material so it’s important to use a high-quality heat gun with the proper focusing tip nozzle.

A plastic welding iron may work better since it provides a more focused, consistent heat. If your boat’s manufacturer doesn’t sell poly welding sticks, they can be found at some auto or motorcycle body shops or online.

For a professional look, try matching colours, or go with whatever you can get your hands on—chicks dig scars. If you’re working on a particularly large crack, you’ll want reinforcement that will help the repair to hold. Use mesh for cracks in flatter surfaces like the hull or decks, and rods to support cracks in awkward areas such as around cockpit combing.

[ Video: How to Repair a Kayak on the Water ]

Stainless steel or aluminum works best because they won’t rust. Aluminum is lighter. Lastly, get your hands on a good scraper, some sandpaper, a file and a surform for prepping and finishing.

Prep the kayak

Your boat has to be clean before you begin work. Hose it down and then sand or scrape the surface around the repair area. Opening up the crack a little with a scraper will help with the binding process. Finally, clean the area inside and out with mineral spirits as dirt and grease can interfere with welding.

Repair the cracked kayak

Whether you’re working on a deep gouge or a crack, the process of heating and mixing is more or less the same. Dors says holes are rare, “but if you’re this unlucky, you’ll have to find a scrap piece of poly, cut it to size and follow the same process as welding a crack.”

Begin by preheating the material

If your hull didn’t crack on its first run down the river, then its surface is probably fuzzy and whitened. “You’ll know the surface is hot enough when it starts to get shiny and the fuzziness disappears,” Dors says. If you’re using a heat gun, you’ll also need to preheat the welding rod. When welding with a heat gun, lead with the gun and follow with the heated rod. Keep the gun 1 to 2 inches away from the work surface.

Mix the welding rod with the boat material using a stirring motion so as not to let the melted plastic pool. A steady, methodical hand will do the trick if you’re using a welding iron. Just take your time, ensuring the material mixes well, and leave the rest up to the iron.

If you’re using reinforcement, support the hull and realign the crack, then press the mesh or rod into the plastic as you heat. Allow the plastic to mix around the reinforcement for strength. “If it doesn’t mix well, the weld will pop open when it cools or is under stress,” Dors cautions.

[ Paddling Buyer’s Guide: View all maintenance and repair tools ]

Take your time repairing the kayak

This will ensure the heat penetrates the material completely. “Don’t rush,” suggests Dors, “plastic does not conduct heat well.” Continue the weld at least a half-inch beyond the length of the damage. This will prevent cracks from continuing to form after welding.

“The weld should be just as thick or thicker than the original surface of the boat,” says Dors. Reheating the area until it’s pliable and gently pressing it back into shape with a flat, metal object can smooth out lumps.

Recovery

Continue to support the weld while it cools to restore the boat’s original shape. Let the plastic cool naturally. Adding water or anything else to cool it will weaken the weld. Once the weld cools, use a scraper, file or surform to smooth out the surface.

[ Video: How To Read Whitewater ]

Bruised egos will pass, scarring should be minimal and your boat will live to see another day on the river. Next up—perfecting your river-reading skills to avoid the carnage in the first place.

Tandem Canoeists Win Yukon River Quest

Photo: Jeff Brady, YRQ Media — Yukon River Quest

For the first time since 2004, a tandem canoe team won the Yukon River Quest, the longest annual canoe and kayak race in the world. Team Round Side Down, consisting of paddlers Tim Lynch and Dave Lewis, passed the finish line after 45 hours and two minutes of paddling a Clipper WW2. The midnight-sun-fuelled race takes place each year on the Yukon River, along the 715 kilometers (444 miles) between Whitehorse and Dawson City in the Yukon.

Out of the 62 teams that started the race, 49 finished. There were 13 scratches—one at the end of Lake Laberge, 11 at Carmacks and one at Minto. Race officials noted that 50-kilometer long Lake Laberge was very calm for second straight year and that the river was high, but also say that these conditions did not result in faster times. No records were broken for the first time in many years. The uncharacteristically warm temperatures likely slowed teams, as well as thunder and lightning and smoke from forest fires, they added.

Though there were no major incidents, two teams overturned in the infamous Fiver Finger Rapids.

Race results below. To enter the 2014 Yukon River Quest, go to www.yukonriverquest.com.

Solo Classes

Open C1:

#11 Wun-Num-Nut – Jeff Brainard, Ontario (49:36:34)

#8 Eco Challenge Japan Hiro – Hiromune Imai, Japan (68:34:31)

Women K1:

1- #59 Super Maryo – Mary Obstfeld, Alberta (64:24:54)

Men K1

1. #28 ECOFOR Consulting – Stephen Mooney, Yukon (49:14:43)

1. #7 Dharma Bum – Gus Oliveira, British Columbia (49:14:43)

3. #2 The Black Sheep – Darren Williams, United Kingdom (50:20:23)

Overall Solo

1. #28 ECOFOR Consulting – Stephen Mooney, Yukon (49:14:43)

1. #7 Dharma Bum – Gus Oliveira, British Columbia (49:14:43)

3. #2 The Black Sheep – Darren Williams, United Kingdom (50:20:23)

Tandem Canoe Class

Women C2

#66 Sisu – Melissa Vaja / Tammy Stoneman, Teslin, Yukon (64:22:51)

#3 Bear(ly) Scared – Sarah Wallis / Esther Wheeler, United Kingdom (64:24:54)

Mixed C2

#44 Currently Confused Still – Steve Ramsay / Karla Ramsay, Manitoba (50:42:22)

#54 Towing the Line – Pauline Frost / Dennis Fosseneuve, Yukon/Ontario(51:04:57)

#62 Northern Allies – Patrick Poulin / Natalie Vachon, Yukon / Quebec (52:21:21)

Men C2

#19 Round Side Down – Tim Lynch / Dave Lewis, Yukon/ Nova Scotia (45:02:00)

#53 Looking for 40 Creek – Gaetan Plourde / Ian Mockett, Ontario (45:16:34)

#57 Kelowna Kanoers – Dylan Switzer / David Mcinerney, BC (48:32:07)

Overall C2

#19 Round Side Down – Tim Lynch / Dave Lewis, Yukon/ Nova Scotia (45:02:00)

#53 Looking for 40 Creek – Gaetan Plourde / Ian Mockett, Ontario (45:16:34)

#57 Kelowna Kanoers – Dylan Switzer / David Mcinerney, BC (48:32:07)

Tandem Kayak

Men K2

#20 On the Way to Maine – Tom Simmat / Urs Mader, Australia (45:26:27)

#30 Longdon – Allan Jackson / Callam Urquhart, Great Britain (53:14:01)

#29 El Gamil – Paul Billings / Graham Groves, United Kingdom (53:14:02)

Overall K2

#20 On the Way to Maine – Tom Simmat / Urs Mader, Australia (45:26:27)

#30 Longdon – Allan Jackson / Callam Urquhart, Great Britain (53:14:01)

#29 El Gamil – Paul Billings / Graham Groves, United Kingdom (53:14:02)

Voyageur Canoes

Women Voyageur

#58 Currently Available, Yukon (50:07:03)

#46 Paddlers Abreast, Yukon (51:05:43)

#61 300 Years of Wisdom, Yukon (52:39:12)

Mixed Voyageur

#16 Your Worst Nightmare Dream Team, USA (45:28:28)

#43 Passing Through, New York (46:25:10)

#27 Outward Bound Canada, (50:20:18)

Open Voyageur

# 38 Interserve H4H2, United Kingdom (49:28:23)

#35 Steelbacks, United Kingdom (51:53:10)

#26 Interserve H4H1, United Kingdom (53:02:12)

Overall Voyageur

#16 Your Worst Nightmare Dream Team, USA (45:28:28)

#43 Passing Through, New York (46:25:10)

#58 Currently Available, Yukon (50:07:03)

Special Awards

Top All Yukon Canoe – #58 Currently Available –Yukon women’s voyageur team (cash)

Top All Yukon Kayak – #28 ECOFOR Consulting – Stephen Mooney of Whitehorse (cash)

Top First Nation Team – #54 Towing the Line – Pauline Frost of Whitehorse, Yukon and Dennis Fosseneuve of Subbury, Ontario (cash)

Daily Photo: Kayaks with a View

“This photo was taken at dusk. You can see the kayaks on the beach with the beatiful water and clouds in the background,” says the photographer.

This photo is was taken by Flickr user jdun87 and licensed under Creative Commons. Want to see your photo here? Send to [email protected] with subject line Daily Photo.

MSR PackTowl Gear Review

Gear

This gear review was originally appeared in Rapid Media’s monthly Paddling Magazine.

Packing a towel for a paddling trip can be a challenge. Bath towels from home are simply too bulky to justify. Beach towels are thinner and perfect for sitting by the lake, but without any sunshine or wind to dry it out, a beach towel can get pretty funky after a day or two of use, and they hog a lot of space.

Enter MSR’s Personal PackTowl line. Made of polyester-nylon microfibers and available in four different sizes, you’d be forgiven for doubting the abilities of the PackTowl’s ultra thin cloth. I was a hold out for that very reason, until I needed something to dry off after riding my bike to work. Now, I’m a convert. Though it weighs in at just a few ounces, the PackTowl is durable and feels made to last, unlike other popular ultra-thin towels that feel fragile.

Helping keep the funk limited to your iPod, the PackTowl boasts an antimicrobial treatment that promises to stick around and keep your towel fresh for the long term. For extra freshness there’s machine wash instructions even I can follow—wash, then dry.

The extra-large PackTowl I bought measures 52 by 24 inches and packs down into a small mesh packet, just a bit bigger than a deck of cards. The first few times I tried to repack the towel it felt a bit like trying to push toothpaste back into the tube, but with practice, and after a few uses, it becomes easy.

The PackTowl claims to absorb four times its own weight in water and wrings out almost completely dry. The convenient snap loop makes it easy to hang from a tree or line to complete the drying. I’ve found it takes just a quarter of the time to dry compared to a cotton towel. While soft on the skin, it doesn’t have the cozy comfort of a plush towel and doesn’t rub the same way along the body. These towels are made to be dabbed and work best if you apply a slight constant pressure and push the towel around. If you already pat yourself dry, there’s no learning curve.

I plan to pick up another PackTowl—as much to have a second one at my disposal, as to have the XXL version. I’m not a big guy, but what can I say, I like big towels.

$22.95 USD | www.packtowl.com

This article appeared in Paddling Magazine.