tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84078631493543177822024-03-18T05:47:11.799-04:00Damn Yak Dry Goods Co.All things of heirloom quality. Leather craft, denim, workwear, vintage clothes, leather, wool,randonneuring, bikes, canvas, camping, backpacking, canoeing, wood craft, tools, traditional, canada, toronto.Yakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13679570523430973275noreply@blogger.comBlogger210125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8407863149354317782.post-55450149119464229362017-06-17T14:38:00.002-04:002017-06-21T20:07:58.265-04:00"Song of the Paddle" Theme Song *<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I would put money down that any fan of this film has said to themselves "I love this song...how can I get a copy?" And for years I have searched up and down. I have come across other people on youtube, or in camping and canoeing forums on the same mission. To no luck.<br />
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The song, written by Folk singer songwriter David Campbell is a beautiful flow of words that place you into the wilderness, and calms your soul. David Campbell has a youtube page filled to the brim with folk songs, but none are the song from the film. People have littered his comments with request for the piece, but to no response from David.<br />
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My wife loves to sing to our Son before bed, and this song is a frequent one that comes up. So serene, so warming and sounds great just singing the words. I have had the idea of pulling it from the film for year, but finally did it.<br />
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It was a bit of a task, no so much pulling the song, but arranging it in a fashion that is is a complete song. If you unfamiliar with the film and the song, it goes like this:<br />
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The opening has the first Chorus and the humming section as one 2 min long song for the opening theme. Then about 5 or so minutes in there is a more subdued chorus and fades out and that's it. So the task was how to arrange this in a flowing song. Well as you can see I stuck the humming at the end, and blending the second chorus in the middle. I think I nailed it the best you can, from a song that might originally been two takes completely and transformed them in to one track for your listening pleasure. Maybe one day we will have access to the real song...with a real title. Enjoy.<br />
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* I do not own this music, NFB does.Yakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13679570523430973275noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8407863149354317782.post-49530314959706998672015-12-15T06:20:00.000-05:002015-12-15T06:32:25.879-05:00A Field Test: Superior Glove Endura Chainsaw Glove.<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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When working with any cutting tools safety is always number one. Being protected and taking your time is all that matters when working in the bush. You could be miles from help, deep through thick forest with
possibly lakes between you. You must slow down, think of your steps and be sure
to not skimp on PPE (Personal Protection Equipment) costs and worthiness. As cheesy as it sounds,
your life depends on it. Chainsaws are the worst of the worst in terms of
damage caused per duration of time. The average chainsaw wound requires 110
stitches.110 folks. My goodness.</div>
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Last year my family purchased 21 acres of beautiful forest
in Huntsville, ON. And while we are in the deciding stages of life paths, we
will be using the forest for camping, and harvesting wood for heat as well as
building supplies. Since we will be cutting the trees ourselves as a side
project, having top notch PPE is essential. As I searched the Internet to find
what is the appropriate PPE for chainsaw work it came down to a few items. Head
protection, Ear, eye, Leg, Foot, and lastly hands. With me being based in
Milton, it came to my surprise that one of top rated gloves was being made by
of Superior glove. Superior glove’s head office is a mere 10 min from my home.
I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to try out Superior Gloves new Endura
Chainsaw Gloves. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How not to wear a face guard.</td></tr>
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The gloves are a bright Blaze yellow, so you do not lose
them if you put them down in the bush. Look wise, very similar to the now
popular “mechanic” gloves. They have 8 layers of a chain stopping specific
Kevlar. Their spec sheet states “…designed to withstand a chainsaw running at
3140 feet per minute. This meets the EN 381:1999 Class 0 for chainsaw cuts.”
The palms are a goatskin with Anti-vibration pads in key spots within the grip to help dampen the movement of the saw.
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They all in all were super comfortable to work with. The
seams inside the glove were a tad stiff when new, and had me concerned if rub
points once I started sweating. However the seams actually softened up when
they got wet with punky wood and sweat. One of the great features I really
liked was the cuff. The gloves go well up your arm almost past where one would
wear a wristwatch and seals tight with an elastic and Velcro closure. This I
found very helpful keeping bits of wood out of the glove compared to my
previous Deer hide ropers. One less thing to deal with…shaking wood chips out
of your gloves every now and then. </div>
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The Anti-vibration pads were quite helpful, as after the
second 7-hour cutting day my hands felt normal. I am sure you would get more
protection out of a dedicated anti-vibration glove. The Endure is a healthy median.
No buzzing or numbness from the saw being in my hand all day. The gloves
leather palm also was great as a general work glove, moving the felled logs,
gripping them when wet and dry. I never felt as if the glove was sliding off or
I was going to lose my grip.</div>
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The quality of the stitching was great. While Superior does
make many of it gloves in Canada, these are made offshore. That being said, you can see
that Superior keep very tight control over their standards of quality to ensure
good products make it out to the market. </div>
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There was really only one concern I had with these gloves.
That issue being that the black dye that the leather manufacturer uses in the goatskin
come off onto quite a bit onto your hands. I have used these gloves for about
40 hours now...and every time I sweat in them…my hands turn black. While the
majority of it comes off with a hand washing, some if still left for a couple
days. I had the pleasant experience of wiping my face with black hands and
leaving black all over my face. Pretty funny. I looked like a football player
with the black lines under my eyes.</div>
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The Endura glove is a solid chainsaw safety glove as well as
a work glove. While I am fortunate enough to have not have had to try out the
Kevlar protection, it’s nice to know its there incase I do need it one day.
Some argue that wearing PPE makes you more complacent. I think that chainsaw
safety equipment only offers a bit of protection. It’s not meant as bulletproof
armor, but can help if a true accident happens. You still need to have complete
focus on the job at hand making sure you are well footed, and practicing proper
techniques. Its nice to have a great local company like Superior Glove going
the extra length to add more layers of Kevlar protection then other brands that
we as consumers can get in Canada.
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CNYjL2ud5VM/Vm_1q8h4GuI/AAAAAAAAC8I/b0udAPo7e6o/s1600/Chain5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CNYjL2ud5VM/Vm_1q8h4GuI/AAAAAAAAC8I/b0udAPo7e6o/s400/Chain5.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">After the 40 or so hours of sweaty palmed chainsaw
use, heaving wood into a stackable pile there has been no seam seperation or excessive
wear on any high friction areas. The gloves obviously loosen a bit when wet,
but the gloves shrink back to a great fit when dry. If your in the market for new high performance
Chainsaw gloves and don’t mind a bit of black ghosting on your hand for a couple days, take a
look at these bright gloves (Superior Gloves also make a mitt version). With the Endura gloves you can feel reassured knowing
that you will have the protection you need…when you need it. </span><br />
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Yakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13679570523430973275noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8407863149354317782.post-84474602365555895472015-08-13T10:05:00.000-04:002015-08-13T15:43:51.854-04:00 A Field Test: Tenkara Rod Co.'s Sawtooth Package.It has been sometime since I have written a field test/report on an item. This particular post has been almost a full year in the making. I decided that rather then write a hasty report on an item used a couple of time I figured lets do almost a whole season. So with that being said I have nearly completed my first season as a Tenkara fisherman. <br />
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Before I begin into my look at <a href="http://www.tenkararodco.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tenkara Rod Co.’s Sawtooth rod</a> and set up, I should tell you a bit about my angling history. Before trying out my new set up this past year, my last experience using any type of fishing rod was about 24 years ago. In fact before I tried Tenkara I would very adamantly say, “I hate fishing”. See my loving grandfather was a fisherman, and that included 8 hours of sitting in a tiny, unshaded, aluminum boat at a time. Long hours of sitting in the middle of a lake catching perch are not for 10 year olds. Not by any means. And this is how my hatred for fishing was started. After a few summers of this on an almost weekly basis I vowed to never touch a rod again. <br />
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So now jump 24 year to perusing instagram and coming across Tenkara Rod Co. via TOPO designs feed. A reel-less, collapsible all in one extremely light package style of fly-fishing? Sound interesting! Coupled with the fact I had just purchased land with a fly fishable river running through it.sounds even more interesting. So I reached out for some more info to Drew Hollenback Co-Founder of Tenkara Rod Co. He was very insightful with the answers to my questions and generously helped me get started on this wildly fun sport. <br />
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The idea of having a minimal fishing kit for use on a bike, hiking, a canoe trip, or just keeping a kit in the truck was such a great idea! While researching Tenkara I came across many picture of very young kids landing great looking trout with ease. Well I’m pretty good at stuff, so I should be able to do it too. <br />
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When I received my Sawtooth rod set up from Tenkara Rod Co. I was very excited to try it out, however it was December, not even close to fishing season in my area. So over the Winter I put together my kit. Some waders, some shoes, my TOPO X Howler Bros. Field bag and some other fly fishing tools.<br />
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Fast forward to Spring 2015. Finally, lets break this kit out and see how easy it really is. My first experience was at Lowville Park. It has the Bronte Creek running through it. A great little river, and it has a fair number of Rainbow Trout hanging out in its pools. So I suit up, Sawtooth in hand, and step into the water. Nervous, not wanting to look like a dummy I cast out, a wrist like flick, but using my elbow as the rotational point, from 2 to 10 if I had to use a clock as a guide. Watching one of the flies supplied with the kit slowly drop on to the surface of the water I see a glimmer of silver dart for it, BAM. “Whoa!” I think to myself, “My first cast, and within 30 seconds I caught a 6” Rainbow? come on!”. Yes folk, It really was that quick, and it didn’t stop there, I think my first day I fished for a total of 3 hours, and landed about 17 fish. Going from the arduous fishing in the middle of a lake to standing in rushing water landing fish faster then I can believe…. who wouldn’t like this?<br />
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I was hooked, it was mind clearing, pleasing to the ear, and great to be outside. It really was something I feel I was missing. Tenkara really makes me feel a bit more connected to the land and the water. I have been out almost every weekend this season, with absolutely not a single hiccup with the equipment, it has preformed flawlessly. Tenkara Rod Co. has really put together a fanatics set up. One that can be used by Beginner (Clearly) and to be honest, I feel pretty confident nowadays enough to call myself a fairly decent Tenkara fishermen. And again the Sawtooth has yet to show its downfalls to me…if any. <br />
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The Sawtooth kit I got from Tenkara Rod Co. included:<br />
-Sawtooth Rod<br />
-Rod pouch and protective tube<br />
-Line spool<br />
-A Non-taper line<br />
-3 hand tied flies.<br />
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All in all a great set up to get you going for sure. Although I would really like to see if Tenkara Rod Co. could include a spool of Tippet, in order to make it a truly “get fishing right out of the box” type package. Another great little piece to add to this kit is a business card sized “knot tying” guide for the newbie’s…like I was. I know they do have video online that show the knots, but to have a quick reference in the package would be very help…but not necessary.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-50LZctdfKT8/Vcyi0LVhNxI/AAAAAAAAC7I/QIhMMrUSN4o/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-50LZctdfKT8/Vcyi0LVhNxI/AAAAAAAAC7I/QIhMMrUSN4o/s400/1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vJVwCHBGSRg/VcyizvPPSrI/AAAAAAAAC60/BQ0gYxvyNDo/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>Probably over the season thus far I have landed easily about 60-70 fish, the biggest being a 10” Rainbow. The Sawtooth held its ground and gave a great feeling in the hand while bringing it in. The cork handle is comfortable and grips well when wet, the paint job on the Sawtooth has held up as expected, I do take the rod apart after every trip to dry out before putting it back together. Whether or not this is needed I’m not sure, but it just seems like the right thing to do. The line has held up all season with no issues and the spool is very handy for drying your line and keeping it safe when not fishing. <br />
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One of the great things about Tenkara Rod Co. say from Patagonia’s set up is the Storage tube. It is such a great feature to get right off the bat. If you choose to tie it from your handlebars, or lash to a pack you know your rod is safe and will not get snapped if leaned on or possible even sat on. I know some other companies sell tubes as an after market item…but good on Tenkara Rod Co. for fitting this into their kit.<br />
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Drew and the gang over at Tenkara run a super helpful team for sure, When I got my order there unfortunately was a quantity issue with an item. It was quickly resolved and shipped with some bonus tidbits. I definitely have good faith that they will help any customer out when needed, which is something to take into account when in the market for your set up.<br />
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I think for someone wanting to explore Tenkara, but yet possibly take it more seriously Tenkara Rod Co. really fits the bill. I think that Tenkara Rod Co. really has a solid foundation on their offering to the Tenkara Market. Their offering has clean graphics, are hard wearing, and a pleasure to use. If you search Google for other review you might find some cons about Tenkara Rod Co.’s products from other very professional anglers. I however, and about as simple as it gets…I want to catch fish…regularly, and I have found that Tenkara Rod Co. delivers. 60-70 fish in a season is pretty good for a guy who has not touched a rod in decades. Having no skills of my own when I started, I feel the Sawtooth has allowed me to learn these skills, from precise casting, reading the water, to even tying the knots. I feel if Tenkara Rod Co.’s gear were a sub par, I would have been dissuaded and just put the rod away in the unused gearbox. I am however very happy to say I am looking forward to many more years of fishing this set up, exploring my own backyard in new rivers and streams. Heck, even telling other Western fly fishermen all about Tenkara as it still is somewhat new in my area.<br />
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Thank you again To Drew at Tenkara Rod Co. for all your help in getting me on board with this great new to me hobby!<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.tenkararodco.com/" target="_blank">Click here to check out all of Tenkara Rod Co.'s offerings </a></span>Yakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13679570523430973275noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8407863149354317782.post-53477196074832530972015-02-10T06:42:00.003-05:002015-02-10T06:44:17.867-05:00"The Joy of Hot Tenting" - Kevin Callan.As you have read from the previous post, Tim Foley, Kevin Callan and myself did a fantastic hot tenting overnight. Kevin and Tim made a short Video about the trip for Kevin's Happy Camper Website.<br />
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It was great to be able to be apart of the video and have this little memento to take away from the outing!
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Yakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13679570523430973275noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8407863149354317782.post-54477047956258466492015-02-03T06:30:00.001-05:002015-02-04T07:50:20.133-05:00Hot Tenting 2015.This past weekend I had the absolute pleasure to be invited to head on up North to partake in some Hot Tenting. It was very short notice, but heck... that is definitely what it is all about. The week before I received a text message from friend and owner of <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.canadianoutdoorequipment.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">COEC Tim Foley</a></span> to see if I wanted to go camping with himself and Canadian Legend and fellow Miltonian <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.kevincallan.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Happy Camper himself Kevin Callan</a>.</span> Needless to say my response was "Yes!"<br />
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Saturday morning came and Tim and I were to meet Kevin just outside of Kawartha Highlands at the local grocery store. We arrived a tad late, and I was formally introduce to Kevin, we all made some jokes about how really cold it was and quickly hopped back in our warm cars and off to the trail head.<br />
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When we got to the trail head we loaded our freight toboggans up with all our Gear, tied it all down and began our trek in. As the snow squeaked beneath my feet, I could tell that it was a perfect day to be walking. With the snow so cold it acts more like sand, boots don't get wet, if you kneel or sit, again it brushes right off leaving no water. Perfect for walking. As we hiked among the beautiful hemlock forest through the park we stopped every now and then to take some footage for some upcoming videos that Kevin put through his YouTube page. As the bystander it was really interesting to see how these shorts come to life and the amount of work that Kevin, and in this trip Tim puts into it. Amazing.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QN62Jh2sz8I/VNCwLRtTX8I/AAAAAAAAC5E/H3Lp0eFpZMU/s1600/SLED.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QN62Jh2sz8I/VNCwLRtTX8I/AAAAAAAAC5E/H3Lp0eFpZMU/s1600/SLED.jpg" height="400" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></div>
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We made it to camp and got the Trangia going for some tea to warm our bellies. After that we split up the tasks from setting up the tent to gathering firewood for the long winter night ahead. <br />
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Before dark we had a good pile of hemlock for the night, the tent was cozy warm, with snow melting on the wood stove. As we all joked inside the tent...mainly about me; I was on snack duty and did not want to disappoint, So I brought about 6 lbs of GORP, two HUGE chocolate bars, smoked cheddar, and a whack of gummy berries. Which I knew was complete overkill, but better be looking at it, then for it ...right? and as Tim and Kevin enjoyed their camp chairs I slumped on top of buckets from kitty litter slipping and sliding every which way.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KgYcKZRK6O4/VNCwLiuKi7I/AAAAAAAAC5I/wXDcxYL33qw/s1600/CHRIS_KEV.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KgYcKZRK6O4/VNCwLiuKi7I/AAAAAAAAC5I/wXDcxYL33qw/s1600/CHRIS_KEV.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
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The night was filled with conversation and stories about camp trips, gear reviews, idea, and insights. It was also filled with some scotch, bourbon, pipe smoke and the beautiful crackle of the fire. As we grew tired around 11pm, we all huddled in our sleeping bags. Kevin pulls out his camera and proceeds to ask Tim and I question about the day and winter camping. And as he asked me the questions he did, I think to myself that these types of question should be asked at the end of each and every day. Questions like "what was your favorite thing about today?" or " if you could sum up the day in 5 positive words, what would they be?" Forcing you to reflect upon the positive and look at the day as a whole instead of the perhaps really crappy hour you had, or the small argument that happens. As I drifted off to sleep for the night to the sound of the fire and the wisps of smoke I too reflected on the day and all the hilarious chatter that happened.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XUa75-cJ0io/VNCwMIMZ9rI/AAAAAAAAC5M/7O8j4m6o9PE/s1600/CHRIS_SLED.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XUa75-cJ0io/VNCwMIMZ9rI/AAAAAAAAC5M/7O8j4m6o9PE/s1600/CHRIS_SLED.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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We all awoke around 8 am, tent was freezing, bladders full. Kevin got the fire stoked, and going, I gathered the last bit of wood outside, and Tim got the all important coffee on the go. As things warmed up inside the tent we got all our sleeping gear packed away and switched the tent from sleep mode back to seating mode. Kevin made some back-bacon and slush eggs muffin sandwiched with warmed the guts, coffee was downed and before we knew wit it was time to break the tent down. It came down with ease and everything all loaded back on our toboggans for the trek out. After a couple more shots and some beautiful lighting through the forest we could see the roofs of our cars.How quick one night can be, Hot tenting is a great social camping experience. With the shortened days having a few people can make the camp tasks quicker and the long night seem bright with laughter and stories. I hope to get out again this winter after having a taste, but for now...this week the thirst has been quenched.<br />
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Thanks Tim and Kevin for a truly memorable weekend! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-51Elw30aFSI/VNCxIA7SN1I/AAAAAAAAC5s/XDCRaOxs3nY/s1600/Chris.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-51Elw30aFSI/VNCxIA7SN1I/AAAAAAAAC5s/XDCRaOxs3nY/s1600/Chris.jpg" height="358" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From Kevin Callan's Facebook page.</td></tr>
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<br />Yakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13679570523430973275noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8407863149354317782.post-57872677530889957382013-07-27T10:09:00.001-04:002013-07-27T10:09:38.540-04:00Gear Trials Along The Missinaibi.Writing this blog has provided me with plenty of unique opportunities. As you have read over the years, I have been on factory tours, met plenty of new friends and also have had the chance to try out new gear for camping and the outdoor lifestyle. When Andy and I put it out there that we were going to complete the Lower Missinaibi we were provided again with a great forum for trying out some new gear. Below you will find a few of our favorites from this trip.<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="http://www.rucpac.com/home.html" target="_blank"><u>1. RucPac Hardcase Conversion Strap System ($112). </u></a></span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-agQO6iQVX10/UfPE397Ys4I/AAAAAAAACrI/wHqy3EQBFTk/s1600/P1060017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-agQO6iQVX10/UfPE397Ys4I/AAAAAAAACrI/wHqy3EQBFTk/s400/P1060017.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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This one of a kind piece of equipment is a really awesome idea. A fully
padded pack system that turns any Pelican Brand case or similar into a
backpack. I came across this system when I got my Wanigan (a Pelican
1620). I originally made a backpack system from an old internal frame
pack, But the problem was the in order to access the contents you had to
unbuckle the whole thing then re-attach and tighten again when
finished. The RucPac eliminates this completely and leaves the lid
completely accessible any time, Also does not interfere with the laying
down of the case as it is just webbing. The shoulder straps are fairly
comfortable, mind you my wanigan weighs about 80 pounds fully loaded so
is anything comfortable!! The stitching is top notch and well crafted.
What little reviews I could find on the web complained about the
instructions, I had no issue with the simple pictures and brief words.
When I contacted the inventor of the RucPac Laurens Parsons about
whether the system can hold such a big case full of gear. His response
was "The only limit is ones own strength as the product is rock solid in
its construction." And I have to fully agree. The webbing did not let
up once the whole trip. The only issues I had was the Velcro tab section
that holds the webbing to the case would sometimes flip up into your
back when putting on, and the other issue was some time, possibly
because of the weight of my case there was a pressure point between the
flat back of the case, bottom of the shoulder straps and my shoulders.
It caused some discomfort, but a minor issue for the absolute genius of
allowing me to carry such a huge case on my back. Any one looking for a
amazing camera case or a wanigan, I would stand behind these to make
that happen.<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="http://tinder.ca/collections/all/products/kupilka-classic-cup" target="_blank"><u>2. Kupilka Classic Cup - Kupilka 21 ($22).</u></a></span> <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1wi-uo2ZuHc/UfPJ8vBlEZI/AAAAAAAACrY/pKp2euRcVS0/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-07-27+at+9.23.34+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="293" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1wi-uo2ZuHc/UfPJ8vBlEZI/AAAAAAAACrY/pKp2euRcVS0/s400/Screen+shot+2013-07-27+at+9.23.34+AM.png" width="400" /> </a></div>
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This super-affordable piece of kit really has to make it way into every one's bag. Made in Finland from 50% pine fiber {wood} and 50% thermoplastic {BPA-free}, they looks and smells like the classic Kuksa cups that are favored by Sami folks, but a lot more durable. Also the 7.10 oz cups will not spoil by using milk in them like solid wood kuksa's, and will not break the bank if you want to get a set for the family. We used these as our primary cup the entire trip, coffee, whisky, food, and just looking cool hung from our belts. I also have the smaller "<a href="http://tinder.ca/collections/all/products/kupilka-shot-cup" target="_blank">shot cups</a>" which are made from the same materials, but come with a long reindeer lanyard for around your neck. On my Kuplika cups I changed the strap from reindeer to paracord so we could hand it on our belts as stated above. It looks top notch, will not dent in you drop them. It only is really unfortunate that we cannot just drink the river water with out treatment, because if that was the case I would have just brought these for water. I guarantee you will love these bad boys. I plan on getting the whole set and letting them serve us for years to come. <br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="http://www.teva.com/mens-original-universal/1004010,default,pd.html?dwvar_1004010_color=UOTL&start=2&cgid=men-view-all" target="_blank"><u><br /></u></a></span>
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="http://www.teva.com/mens-original-universal/1004010,default,pd.html?dwvar_1004010_color=UOTL&start=2&cgid=men-view-all" target="_blank"><u>Teva "Original Universal" Sandals ($55).</u></a></span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HLhzV5WxD68/UfPNnPf7KvI/AAAAAAAACro/zH6JBGBtOyA/s1600/P1050846.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HLhzV5WxD68/UfPNnPf7KvI/AAAAAAAACro/zH6JBGBtOyA/s400/P1050846.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />Needing a light pair of footwear for around camp? Want them to be tried and true. Then look no further than the Teva Original Universal. These sandals have been around for more than 30 years, pretty much unchanged. Please mind the socks in the sandals as the bugs would have had at my feet within seconds. My primary footwear for canoe trips are me 16" Maine Hunting Boots. The boots are what I wear in the canoe, along the portages etc, however the second we get to camp these Teva's go on. With the socks they become the perfect foot stretching, breathing and protecting platform to perform all camp tasks. I would have loved to have worn these while canoeing, however the bugs alone put an end to that, that will have to be another trial. The quality of these again is tried an true, the webbing is a thick patterned colour, and the sole is a comfortable grippy m is not to stiff. As you know these are meant to go in the water and still be useful, and while bathing and swimming around camp they performed flawlessly, drying quickly allowing me to put y socks back on to protect the tops of my feet again. The one thing where I was not to keen on these sandals is while scrambling up hills at camp, The softness of the sole allowed the straps to flex at their contact point and I would shift and slide all over the place within the foot bed. A general feeling of not to secure while on a hills. I am sure that Teva has other sandals that address this issue with thicker stiffer soles, but as long as you are sure-footed and take your time they will hold up. Yeah, coming down some hills I thought the foam was going to rip and I would have to carry a busted sandal home, I almost wanted them to, so I could shake my head and be disappointed. However these sandals took a beating from all the scrambling and really held up, No damage what so ever, just some sore feet from sliding around on the hills. These Tevas's are easy to store in a pack, and again quick to dry. They are a great camp shoe for the warmer months, and I am sure you could even stretch them into the Fall if you were so inclined. There are plenty of colour ways to chose from and even some super slick white soled versions for all you "trendy" folks (I want to get them!?!). So if you want so easy cap shoes scoop up some history. If its good enough for 30 years of whitewater guides, I am sure they are good enough for your boring lake travel canoe trip.Yakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13679570523430973275noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8407863149354317782.post-66447943229330891462013-07-07T16:10:00.005-04:002013-07-08T16:13:48.904-04:00Trip Report: Day:6 Lower Missinaibi River - Mattice to Moose River Crossing.Day 6: July 5, 13.<br />
-Km's Paddled: 23km<br />
-Portaged Meters: 100m<br />
-General Weather: Sunny, No clouds <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early Morning headed towards Moose River Crossing.</td></tr>
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So last Morning. After a early rise as we had a train to catch we ate a nice big bowl of oatmeal and some whisky and coffee we packed up ship and we were now officially off of the Lower Missinaibi. We put in on the Moose River and made our way up to Moose River Crossing. The Crossing is the Bridge for the Polar Bear express that runs between Cochrane and Moosonee. The train comes by Moose river twice daily, as it goes in and as it returns. The Stop is a "flag only" stop and one has to flag the train down to get it to stop and pick you up.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GM0gTgpCBaI/Udm67o4X10I/AAAAAAAACqQ/WDprl2JsEWU/s1600/P1060049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GM0gTgpCBaI/Udm67o4X10I/AAAAAAAACqQ/WDprl2JsEWU/s400/P1060049.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Construction Work Being Done.</td></tr>
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As we approached the Bridge we could see a group of men working on the bridge covering the concrete with Steel to prevent the ice from destroying them. We waves as we went under. You have to go past the bridge and come back around to get to the station. As we landed at the station and brought our gear up to the platform, you could see that the Mover River station is really an outpost for these men. thee is bunk houses, a mess hall, Beer cans everywhere. I was interested in how long these men stay out here at a time. It really seemed like a Klondike outpost, really interesting. a couple of the men came out to say hi, and inquire about our trip. Super friendly, but a rugged bunch of men for sure.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8RP85SgfpIM/Udm8R8MJuVI/AAAAAAAACqg/2d7vbPWsJuQ/s1600/P1060050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8RP85SgfpIM/Udm8R8MJuVI/AAAAAAAACqg/2d7vbPWsJuQ/s400/P1060050.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Main Building.</td></tr>
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One Guy came up to use and to let us know that the train will be coming by within the hour and to grab a blaze orange fleece they have hanging to flag it down. Sure enough the train came and as we flagged it down the train stopped and some parcels got dropped off and hands were shaken. A real treat to see some other faces. We loaded our canoe and took the train into Moosonee. The ride took about 1 hour, and when we arrived I had to call Owen from the outfitters to let him know about the early arrival. Owen was out but his wife Denise said that he could bring it in the Morning.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Mtr3zNz3rxk/Udm9Ojlo6ZI/AAAAAAAACqw/Yo_KCp8fRM8/s1600/P1060051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Mtr3zNz3rxk/Udm9Ojlo6ZI/AAAAAAAACqw/Yo_KCp8fRM8/s400/P1060051.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Welcome to Moose River</td></tr>
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After strolling around Moosonee for a couple hours the Train was about to leave for Cochrane. So we Boarded and took the 5.5 Hour Train ride back. Napping, snacking, and reminiscing about the trip the whole way back. It really was amazing, The luck with the tailwinds, The nothing but sun for 6 days. Really a killer trip. Andy and I became closer for sure. Learning, teaching, everything to make a bond stronger. It was an amazing trip and I am glad I got to do complete it with Andy. We arrived in Cochrane with no car to store the canoe in, however the Best Western in Cochrane was oh so kind and let us store it in their lobby for the night and we just got clean and hit a air conditioned bed...It was the perfect end to the trip. We awoke to a great breakfast and my car waiting at the train station. Lower Missinaibi..Complete.<br />
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<a href="http://www.damnyak.ca/2013/07/trip-report-day1-lower-missinaibi-river.html" target="_blank">Start Over to Day 1.</a> <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i2Vy_81nBgQ/Udm9Rr49fpI/AAAAAAAACq4/rDrJerCiglY/s1600/P1060056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i2Vy_81nBgQ/Udm9Rr49fpI/AAAAAAAACq4/rDrJerCiglY/s400/P1060056.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andy Sitting in the Shade.</td></tr>
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<br />Yakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13679570523430973275noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8407863149354317782.post-46145951904768610742013-07-07T16:10:00.004-04:002013-07-08T16:15:32.181-04:00 Trip Report: Day:5 Lower Missinaibi River - Mattice to Moose River Crossing.Day 5: July 4, 13.<br />
-Km's Paddled: 50km<br />
-Portaged Meters: 0<br />
-General Weather: Sunny, No clouds<br />
-<a href="http://fms.ws/CmaBI/50.73629N/81.48627W" target="_blank">End of day Camp. </a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sazHsEQPYrA/UdmWgBVsIzI/AAAAAAAACo0/n5wjcrV8dP4/s1600/P1060026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sazHsEQPYrA/UdmWgBVsIzI/AAAAAAAACo0/n5wjcrV8dP4/s400/P1060026.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loading the Canoe in the Morning.</td></tr>
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Day 5 was a simple day, We started with a simple on the water breakfast as the mosquitoes at the site came out in thousands as there was no wind first thing in the morning. We could not set up the sail right away as we had "Deception Rapids" to deal with right out of the hop. They were not bad at all, at first we were not even sure if we had gone through them. We had notice in the days before the river was dropping about 2" or more every day. This explained to us why all the picture from previous trips of other people had them sleeping on gravel bars and running what looked like streams sometimes. Water goes fast from here, and the opportunity to paddle the Missinaibi is short.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breakfast Mosquitoes.</td></tr>
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No real highlight, other than a more steady tailwind than yesterday. We are able to Blow through the full 50km before 2pm. The sail held tight and barely ever had no wind in it. It was a solid 3 hours of one continuous breeze. A great sailing day. While just cruising along we come up with this story that our sail, a tarp is a third person named "Tarp". He has a stereotypical whitewater rafting guide personality. He really just goes with the flow and let the wind take him where he wants, we create this whole persona of Tarp. and then create the adventure of Andy, Chris, and Tarp. I guess you had to be there. We were busting a gut.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Uda6A56mWhE/UdmZWN8pIqI/AAAAAAAACpU/ihKCuf4tmZU/s1600/P1060035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Uda6A56mWhE/UdmZWN8pIqI/AAAAAAAACpU/ihKCuf4tmZU/s400/P1060035.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tarp just going with the flow.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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It was so smooth we were able to bust out the pipes while on the water and just sit back and enjoy the steady pace of the wind and water. Truly a relaxing day. We felt lucky to have been able to have a tailwind, Things would have had to have been seriously adjusted if a headwind came into affect. Conversation was light, the map had just straight lines, without even any swifts, Just flat river travel for today.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C-9lWiBFmDI/UdmaSEFvvoI/AAAAAAAACpg/r2VRrgF32S8/s1600/P1060044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-C-9lWiBFmDI/UdmaSEFvvoI/AAAAAAAACpg/r2VRrgF32S8/s400/P1060044.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying a Pipe.</td></tr>
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The Sun was hot, and the wind was strong as we pulled onto Portage Island. The sight was high above teh water level, so we just brought up the sleeping stuff and decided to leave all other gear down below. I had had enough of the blazing sun for 5 days, and decided to "hide" in the tent. Even thought it was sauna hot, it was out of the sun. Andy went fishing in some of the swifts around the corner. Later we met up and collected some nice fossils and rocks. I was no hungry for dinner, as the heat was a little much, but Andy made himself some Bannock Pizza, which looked amazing! I had a bite, and it was surely tasty.<br />
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<a href="http://www.damnyak.ca/2013/07/trip-report-day6-lower-missinaibi-river.html" target="_blank">On to Day 6. </a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mX0fJUNz8Hs/Udmbj0VEsMI/AAAAAAAACpw/rcRMO6UXUtk/s1600/P1060024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mX0fJUNz8Hs/Udmbj0VEsMI/AAAAAAAACpw/rcRMO6UXUtk/s400/P1060024.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leg Bruise Started to Heal by The End of The Trip.</td></tr>
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<br />Yakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13679570523430973275noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8407863149354317782.post-38304107057567416192013-07-07T16:10:00.003-04:002013-07-07T16:15:49.244-04:00Trip Report: Day:4 Lower Missinaibi River - Mattice to Moose River Crossing.Day 4: July 3, 13.<br />
-Km's Paddled: 80km<br />
-Portaged Meters: 0<br />
-General Weather: Sunny, No clouds<br />
-<a href="http://www.findmespot.com/mylocation/?id=CloT4/50.58548N/82.08334W" target="_blank">End Of Day Camp. </a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cZvdqsm02qk/UdmG2ogp5XI/AAAAAAAACnU/zl8s-SlUJUM/s1600/P1060003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cZvdqsm02qk/UdmG2ogp5XI/AAAAAAAACnU/zl8s-SlUJUM/s400/P1060003.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Something getting built in the bottom right.</td></tr>
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We awoke Fresh after a good sleep. While I break the tent down, Andy gets breakfast going and casts a few lines. We have a quick breakfast semi bug free. The night before Andy had gathered some trees for making a rig. and we lash the Moose shed to the bow deck plate and dub our canoe "Thunder-Moose". It is quite the ship now with its rig and mounts! ready for s full day in the sun and on the water. Today were suppose to paddle 50km, but we knocked off 15 last night so we have only 35 to do.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NwnEDMj_j88/UdmIQUCWf3I/AAAAAAAACnk/2AOomzZDWlA/s1600/P1060005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NwnEDMj_j88/UdmIQUCWf3I/AAAAAAAACnk/2AOomzZDWlA/s400/P1060005.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Thunder-Moose"</td></tr>
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As we push off, maybe 2 km in we notice a slight tail wind. Seize the opportunity, we go ashore and set up the sail. Any chance to try this out, and if it works...not to paddle would be great. So Andy and I set up and cast sail. we followed the instructions in Haps Book for the solo canoe, and with out hitch it is wonderful. Through the gusts of wind we cruse along, sometimes the gusts are so strong we make a great deal of wake. The only down side is you cannot always see what is in front of you. So we deal with this as Andy opens the sail up to rise like a kite and I being the rudder guy, takes a quick look and navigates accordingly. It works great and in no time we have worked out the big bugs and make out way north in record time.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tarp Sail, Full Steam Ahead.</td></tr>
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As we cruise along the Missinaibi we see on the map the note about a grave site maintained by the HBC, A unique site in the middle of the bush for sure. As Andy mans the sails I keep watch looking above the 20 ft shoreline for any sign of a trial, I catch a glimpse of the gravestone and veer hard to the left to beach "Thunder-Moose". We scramble up the side of the hill and pay our respects. Quite eerie and neat all at one. From another <span style="color: red;"><b><a href="http://www.panoramio.com/photo/3310061" target="_blank">online picture</a></b></span> a Gent named Steven Gray left this info possibly about Mr. Marten<br />
<div class="photo-comment-text" id="c15303951">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
According to the Ontario death registry 1869 to
1934 available at www.ancestry.ca, Joseph Martin was born Dec. 16, 1860
in St. Remi, Que., son of F. X. Martin and his wife, Clemence nee Gagne.
Joseph was a laborer. He lived in Ont. for 44 years, and the Hearst
area for 6 years. He died of paralysis at age 64 yrs., 8 mos. and 6
days at Hearst, Cochrane District on Sept. 6, 1925 and he was buried
Sept. 9, 1925. The informant was Ernest Martin of Hearst, his son. The
undertaker was N. Darby of Hearst.<br />
There is an error somewhere in the dates of birth and death, and age
at death. The dates of birth and death on the headstone differ from the
official registry. The surname is also spelled differently. Perhaps
someone can check the local newspaper to cross-check when he died. In
the meantime priority should be given to the official death registry as
submitted by the physician.<br />
In 1891 Joseph Martin, 35, a laborer; his wife, Lizie, 30; and
their three children, Yaphen, 6; Ernest, 3; and Josephine, 2; all
born in Que. (sic), all Roman Catholic, lived in Springer Tp. (area),
Nipissing Dist., Ont. Joseph Ernest Martin was born Jan. 3, 1888 at
Springer Tp., Nipissing Dist., Ont., son of Joseph Martin, a farmer, and
his wife, Elisabeth nee Simson.</blockquote>
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Quite interesting. I have been on other Canoe trips and sometimes you will find shires build in the middle of no where with statues of Mary etc. All very creepy to me anyway. We press on as we have the wind on our side, and we are going to take full advantage of it today. We end up doubling our mileage and clock in a full 80k today. We felt very privileged to have the tailwind and to have the chance to set up the sail and try it out. We end up paddling to 6pm, Spirits high from the great day, and easy on the back. Chatting and laughing all day was great. The Site we find on km 140 is gravelly, no bugs at the moment, but no shade. We set up everything and have a great evening almost bug free. However the second we go to bed the Mosquitoes come ot in full fore. It was so Loud with buzzing it literally kept me up most of the night. I got a lousy sleep, but at least I was rested.<br />
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<a href="http://www.damnyak.ca/2013/07/trip-report-day5-lower-missinaibi-river.html" target="_blank">On To Day 5.</a> <br />
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<br />Yakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13679570523430973275noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8407863149354317782.post-25209743473926502302013-07-07T16:10:00.002-04:002013-07-07T16:14:32.141-04:00Trip Report: Day:3 Lower Missinaibi River - Mattice to Moose River Crossing.<u>Day 3: July 2, 13.</u><br />
-Km's Paddled: 40km<br />
-Portaged Meters: 3050m, yup Over 3km.<br />
-General Weather: Sunny, No clouds<br />
-<a href="http://www.findmespot.com/mylocation/?id=CktTH/50.21987N/82.87262W" target="_blank">End Of Day Camp. </a><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting Ready to Break Camp.</td></tr>
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After a great sleep listening to the falls all night, we had our big day in front of us. The last day of portages, and big one at that. We ate Oats and drank Coffee and set off. Along the rest of the Thunderhouse portage there is a log book. Turns out we were the second people through this S/S so far. Portage should be good! We paddle the 2km to the first 700m portage to Stone rapids and breeze through those as water is higher than normal. Which brings us right up to the "Hell's Gate Canyon" Portage. A relatively flat except the super steep ending. At the start of the portage in thick bush I find a old Moose Shed, Quite old from being buried in the bush but what a souvenir for sure. We load up and take off. Bug shirts on as the portage is over grown, we plan of trekking in as far with full gear then duping half and continuing one, About 1km in we both dump half our gear. Sweat pouring down our heads, dripping though the nets and the thousands of mosquitoes in the bush make for a portage you do not want to stop in. Andy and I hike the full 2.3km without a water break and man it felt good to get the packs off our backs.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hell's Gate Canyon.</td></tr>
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We back track to our dumped gear, cooling down and walking fast. It is a nice trail, lots of logs in the way, but manageable. As Andy dropped the Canoe off about 50m behind where I dropped the pack I was waiting and standing still with my bug shirt on, and I kid you not.....there must have been about 3000 mosquitoes on my. I looked like the bee beard guy but with mossie's! Insane, The most bugs I have ever encountered in the bush. I question the heavens above why can't this river be runnable in late fall when it would be o so much more comfortable! We stop on the way back to the end of the portage to over look the Canyon and take some more pictures. Again quite a sight to see back in the bush. We feel very fortunate to have cast these sights upon our eyes.<br />
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Owen From MO, mentioned to us, that if you cast your line at the base of Hell's Canyon you will be guaranteed a fish within 5 min. Andy to Owen up on this and needless to say Owen won. Very Quickly Andy caught a bass, one that would be a perfect lunch for us. After we pressed on from the portage, we were faced with the set called "Long Rapids" we decided to line about half of them and run the rest. It went smooth and again another good learning experience in lining the canoe. Everyday I get more comfortable, and confident. So much fun.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunch is served.</td></tr>
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We find a nice beach in Bell's Bay for lunch. I get the fire going from the piles of driftwood around. Within Minutes we have a hot bed of coals and just the perfect size for frying up some fish and sweet potatoes with Maple Syrup. Andy Cleans the fish on the shore, and throws the trimmings back into the water for some other animal to enjoy. Within 5-10 min Lunch is ready. Whoa man! It tasted so good. Nothing like fresh fish from a northern Ontario river. We devoured lunch quickly with smiles n our face. After lunch we pressed on, and made it to our campsite, but realized we had tons of time left in the day, and decided to press on. We ended up putting another 15km under our belt.<br />
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This Site was high up on the shore, we had to scramble up the ledge to get to it, Very Mosquito-y. We got a fire going and then hung out below. It was shady which was nice. I laid in the tent for a bit to write in my journal and record some info. Andy went fishing on the shallow gravel bars long the river. A quite night. But the mossie's were loud all night, buzzing away like a drone through the night. Quite loud. Again hit the sack around 10. Long tiring day, From here no more portages!<br />
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<a href="http://www.damnyak.ca/2013/07/trip-report-day4-lower-missinaibi-river.html" target="_blank">On To Day 4.</a>Yakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13679570523430973275noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8407863149354317782.post-56745436123001093122013-07-07T16:10:00.001-04:002013-07-07T16:14:03.786-04:00Trip Report: Day:2 Lower Missinaibi River - Mattice to Moose River Crossing.Day 2: July 1, 13.<br />
-Km's Paddled: 15km<br />
-Portaged Meters: 1500m<br />
-General Weather: Sunny, No clouds<br />
-<a href="http://www.findmespot.com/mylocation/?id=CjZxO/50.05170N/83.18591W" target="_blank">End Of Day Camp.</a> <br />
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This was our short day. From other trip reports that I read, they mention make for it to spend a full day at Thunderhouse Falls. And I will tell you I am glad that we did. We broke camp before 8 am. Running a couple rapids in the morning after some oats and coffee felt great. We killed these rapids with no swampings of any kind and arrive at the beginning of the portage before 10 am.<br />
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The Camp sites were all along the portage so it was a matter of finding the one you wanted. We took our time, Andy carrying the canoe and food bag, and Myself with the Pelican wanigan and the sleep bag on top. There is a huge sign for this portage as to let everyone know that some serious water is coming up, really the only big sign of the park. We make our way mid point to a great site overlooking the falls, with easy access to water and a nice rocky walk to get away from bugs. These sites are well used and the grass is very short, so bugs are not as bag as some of the other back woods one. Horse flies are the worst enemy here, and black flies in the deeper parts closer to the moving water.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't Let the Blackflies Bother You.</td></tr>
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We set up camp and take in all that Thunderhouse has to offer, amazing rocks, loud waterfalls, and high canyon walls. Thunderhouse is awe inspiring. Andy and I discuss how there are still places like this that can only be seen if you canoe, there is not parking lot, people cannot just drive up and take some pictures. You have to work for it. And man, it is worth it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PEm-toAJB5M/Udl5GSXvfHI/AAAAAAAAClw/bwqgMmqO-qk/s1600/P1050879.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PEm-toAJB5M/Udl5GSXvfHI/AAAAAAAAClw/bwqgMmqO-qk/s400/P1050879.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Top of Thunderhouse.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Today was nice, Andy Went fishing at the bottom of the portage and was kind enough to bring the canoe with him so we did not need to bring it in the morning. After dinner we took some pictures, had a pipe and some whisky while over looking Conjuring Rock. Which is a huge Monolith at the bottom of the falls and is really a structure to behold. My overwhelming feelings of the trip have since subsided. The nervousness is fading, But Moose river crossing pull out still seems exciting, and adventurous way to end this trip. A unique way of ending is always a good one. One of the Highlights of the night was the small pool beside the top of the second falls. I perfect sized pool for a "Thunderhouse jacuzzi". As the waves would pour in the pool would fill and be perfectly aggressive to cool you down. Before bed Andy and I were chatting about tattoos and if he would get one. As he shows me where he could on his calve, we see a leech stuck to his foot. Like a while after we finished bathing in the falls. It was hilarious and a god laugh was had. A great night and day. perfect to regroup and refocus.<br />
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<a href="http://www.damnyak.ca/2013/07/trip-report-day3-lower-missinaibi-river.html" target="_blank">On To Day 3. </a> <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Conjuring Rock" From Another Campsite</td></tr>
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<br />Yakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13679570523430973275noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8407863149354317782.post-76967022208709113682013-07-07T16:09:00.002-04:002013-07-07T16:13:27.300-04:00Trip Report: Day:1 Lower Missinaibi River - Mattice to Moose River Crossing.This year has taken off to be a pretty epic one. A lot of good things going on. First and for most the lovely Lady Damnyak and myself are expecting our first little one, and as all people might know things might get a little hectic here for the next little bit. So with that said this year also dealt me the opportunity for my Brother-in-Law Andy and I to run the Lower Missiniaibi River.<br />
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This has been a ongoing project,/plan for a number of years (emails dating back to 2010), but with Andy either fresh out of school, or still settling in his position securing time off when the water is flowing has been difficult. However this year the stars aligned and the Lower Missinaibi Adamiak/Seto expedition commenced forth. For those who do not know the Missinaibi River is and Northern Ontario river that In fur trade days, was the main routes between James Bay and Lake Superior. a Pretty Epic and Historical River for sure.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Smiley Face in Actually a Missinaibi Pictograph. </td></tr>
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A great deal of planning is involved with this river trip, as there is many logistical aspects to it. Shuttling, Long Drives, Train rides, White Water, and water levels. We gathered every resource we could, and from what any other trip report will tell you is that Hap Wilson's Book <span style="color: red;"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Missinaibi-Journey-Northern-Superior-James/dp/1550464361/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1373200374&sr=8-1&keywords=missinaibi+journey+to+the+northern+sky+from+lake+superior+to+james+bay+by+canoe" target="_blank">"Missinaibi: Journey to the Northern Sky"</a></b></span> is the be all and end all of resourced. It will guide you through all these aspect even down to what bugs to expect and when.<br />
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So rather than getting in to all that business this is my trip report. A general break down of our day to day along the river. I will say that we had originally intended to paddle the Moose River right out to Moosonee, however this did get changed along out trip, reasons will be explained. I hope you enjoy the read and pictures.<br />
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Day 0: June 29, 13.<br />
-Km's Paddled: 0<br />
-Portaged Meters: 0<br />
-General Weather: Sunny, No clouds <br />
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We drive from Andy's House in Torrance to Mattice (Mah-tyce), and Arrive at <span style="color: red;"><b><a href="http://www.duenorth.net/missinaibi/main.html" target="_blank">Missinaibi Outfitters</a></b></span> and are promptly greeted by the owner Owen Korpela. a super-friendly Gent who will be putting us up for the night and shuttling our car back to where we finish the route. Owen shows us our small cabin for the night. a beauty of a hut, with our own water shower, and most importantly bunk beds. Owen says "swing by in the morning to the office and we will settle everything up, details and such", so the rest of our night is filled with anticipation and going over out food, and the rapids we face in the morning. We hit the sack around 10pm.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Statue At Mattice Bridge.</td></tr>
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Day 1: June 30, 13. <br />
-Km's Paddled: 45km<br />
-Portaged Meters: 300m<br />
-General Weather: Sunny, No clouds<br />
-<a href="http://www.findmespot.com/mylocation/?id=CisJ2/49.93957N/83.17462W" target="_blank">End of Day Camp.</a><br />
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Andy and I drive to the put in, unload and I head back to Missinaibi Outfitters (about 3 min away) to drop my car off and settle up the tab. Owen and I chat as we write up the paper work. The break down was as follow for those interested.<br />
-$75 for the Cabin Rental.<br />
-$270 for the Shuttle From Mattice to Cochrane (3 hour drive)<br />
-$110 from Camping Permits.<br />
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Owen then drives me back to Andy at the put in, where Andy is chatting with two gents who split their canoe before they even arrived at the first set of rapids, and now they are not doing their trip. They mentioned they might rent a canoe to proceed forth. I hope they did. So Andy and I shove off the shore to Paddle the Great Miss. Bugs are not bad on the water, the River is as smooth as glass.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just Before Our Journey Began.</td></tr>
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We were told by the fellows with that cracked their canoe that the first set of rapids (Rock Island, CII - CIII) were runnable on the left where one could normally line. They said the flow was good and the line was shorter (100m), compared to the 580 on the right. So we approached gingerly and as we were prying to get to the deep V the current grabbed the Stern and we went in backward. This resulted in a dumping. Out we went not even an hour in the trip swimming down the Missinaibi. We quickly found an eddy and pulled everything in. Everything was lined in one way or another to the canoe...Except Andy's water bottle and....the maps. While we laugh and looked from the bottom of the rapids it was clearly we should have done it differently, but at the same time we were happy we got a dumping out of the way. Now we knew what to expect.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was over exposed, but the waves to the left are about 3' high.</td></tr>
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After gathering our composure, wringing out socks and sharing some laughs we were off again, About 1/2 km up stream we found our maps floating in the water, then about another km up stream we saw Andy's Bottle bobbing around in the water. Success! On a completely unrelated note: Tie EVERYTHING in, EVERYTHING. After hitting a couple fun swifts we came across our first Moose, one of many we would see on our trip, Always great to see some wildlife.<br />
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Our Next set of rapids was Black Feather Rapids, and with the higher than normal volume of water flowing currently and seeing as this set is over 1km long we decided to line it down the side, when water was flowing over some beautiful bedrock. This only took a moment, but we scouted the rapids and just took notes of what we could have done if we had chosen to run them. Andy had taken some Whitewater courses and he was very knowledgeable in reading the rapids in a finer detail than me. A lot more detail. I was happy to learn and after dumping the first time realized I know enough to know I don't know. So he was more than happy to explain to me the finer things in this nature. </div>
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The last small but "big" rapids for this day was Beam Rapids. A lot of flow. We scout this bad boy. we picked our line and hit our mark. However we learned another lesson here. Being one canoe, full of gear, and two big/tall guys does make for a low sitting canoe. We get through the rapid, but at the end some of the tall stacks flood our canoe and swamps the bow. Next thing I know Andy is floating away from the canoe and with bow and 3/4 of the rest of the canoe underwater it crashed right into a rock at the bottom of the river. The impact throws me forward into the thwart. My thigh slams into it with a lot of force, now with the canoe completely underwater, I am fishing for the throw bag as the current takes us down river. My leg throbbing, I am swimming to shore with the line in my hand as Andy is holding on to the canoe and our gear bobbing around. I finally make it to solid ground where I can pull everything in, wickedly out of breath from swimming to fight a current we make some PB & J wraps for lunch and again wring out our socks and boots. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Day One Thwart Damage: 9" diameter on thigh.</td></tr>
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After this second dumping We have a short Portage around Kettle Falls then its just some paddling to finish up the day. We were actually able to breeze past out initial campsite on Isabel Island and make it up to Bare Rock Point. Andy and I joked that what it if it was typo and was actually called "Bear Rock Point" and we arrive and there is something like 25 bears on this small point just rubbing their paws together waiting, unable to explain the typo in the book. Ha! The campsite was nice, A rock out crop to beat some of the bugs, a small grassy area for a tent, but full of Mosquitoes. We had some Frozen Steaks for dinner, a nice campfire.<br />
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Later in the night I was questioning with Andy whether I had the ability to continue the trip, whether the gear was to heavy and that was a danger, or the fact that it was just us. I explain with these fears that perhaps Moose river Crossing might be a great take out. I had a couple reasons after the first day. In-fact I explained to Andy I had even been pondering this before we left for the trip as a possibility.<br />
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Some of the reasons were:<br />
-It would be neat to take out in the middle of nowhere along a railroad in the bush, as apposed to a town. <br />
-If we had a head wind, that could through our days off huge (50km days in headwind = no fun)<br />
-The Moose River is HUGE, and it looses that compact river feel.<br />
-There were some really tricky rapids that I feel after the first day I did not want to do. Safety.<br />
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It was a little overwhelming for a first day. Andy was fine with whatever, as I dug deep I could feel the nervousness, but after some on the spot self reflection, I think I was way over tired and a little rattled, and yes a little "wow this is grander then I though". We ended up hitting the sack again around 10pm, but had to do so with the sun still up...Damn you being up North.<br />
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<a href="http://www.damnyak.ca/2013/07/trip-report-day2-lower-missinaibi-river.html" target="_blank">On To Day 2.</a> <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eating Dinner with Our Companions. This is nothing.</td></tr>
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<br />Yakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13679570523430973275noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8407863149354317782.post-42842394832127350992013-02-20T17:59:00.001-05:002013-02-21T07:26:38.038-05:00Hot Tenting Trial - Algonquin Park.My wife and I recently "invested" in a hot tent. A canvas tent that you can use a wood burning stove inside to heat. We invested in this to make deep winter camping bearable and to open a whole other season of back country travel. In order to successfully do multi day trips in the winter you need to be able to dry out your gear. If you cannot within a couple days it is so full of moisture that it ceases to be warm and that as a whole is no good.<br />
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So we found a nice looking 8'x10' wall tent on <a href="http://wintertrekking.com/"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Wintertrekking.com</span></a>, in their classified section. For the stove we purchased a <span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="http://www.kni-co.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Kni-co "Packer"</span></a> </span>directly from them. Our original plan was to head up to a local conservation area to try out all the new gear and see how it works and to see if we need anything else. However since we had a long weekend here we both took an extra day off and decided to jet up to Algonquin for some winter fun.<br />
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Our tent did not come with a internal frame, nor were we going to stay in the back country this trip to be able to find dead fall to construct a frame on the spot, so I had to come up with another means. So what I did is use a 2" x 27' ratchet strap between two trees as the ridge line, and make 4' "pikes" with lags in them for the side eaves. Then it was just a matter of guying out the tent by the "pikes". My wife and I had the tent up with no problem on a beautiful site in Mew Lake within a hour...Remember first time setting up. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The set up wall tent.</td></tr>
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As soon as we got the tent up in went the rest of the gear, Stove set up, Chimney out the back, fire wood lit. Setting up the interior is a fun game, trying to maximize comfort and location for ease of access. My wife was going to be staying on a cot, and myself on the ground beside. Within another hour we were fully ready for the weekend.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Smoke Stack Out The back.</td></tr>
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Because this weekend was family day, there was all sort of demonstration and event happening within the campground, it made for quite a lively day, meeting and greeting new people sharing stories about adventures within the park etc. I even had the pleasure of meeting two gents from <span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="http://wintertrekking.com/">Wintertrekking.com</a></span> who were there camping as well. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Relaxing By The Wood Stove.</td></tr>
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As the night came to a close and the festivities wound down we retired back to our tent to relax and take in some reading. This is when I had my first lesson on wood stoves. Well as we were relaxing I notices that I could not get a good fire going, and there seem to be smoke coming into the tent. The adjustable elbow was leaking smoke. At first I thought it was perhaps the crimped ridges and perhaps they were not fitted properly. as we explored in a frustrated fury I decided to check the stove pipe and sure enough the Kni-co spark arrester had completely clogged and there was no draft. As I removed this the fire came back to life and we were able to calm down enough to hit the sack.</div>
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Seeing as this was a "learning trip" I wanted to see if I could keep the fire going all night for to reasons. One: to keep my wife warm, as she hates being cold, and two: just cause. Well it seems that the small size of the stove made for hourly firewood installations. Not fun. I got a horrible sleep, if you can even call it that. It was -31 and me constantly trying to keep the fire going in a state of extreme tiredness was not fun. I would get the fire going, fall into a pseudo-sleep and the wake up a hour later cold and worried about my wife. Needless to say I awoke at 5:30 and was up and at em' with the stove making the tent a balmy 25*C</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First coffee of the morning.</td></tr>
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We got coffee going ASAP and added twice the amount of coffee, a newly dubbed "Algonquin kick start" drink was invented. Both tried cold but happy we decided on a hike on Hemlock Bluff was in order for the day. One of the most beautiful winter hikes in Algonquin...My opinion.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">7 am: Coffee and wool. Warm and ready.</td></tr>
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The hike was wonderful. The trail packed so no snowshoes were necessarily. The temp was about -25 and as we hiked perspiration was freezing on the outside of our clothes. This movement of sweat is great, it brings it to the surface keeping you dry, and with a quick brush off goes all the moisture. The hike was about two hours and it was just long enough, as we were getting hungry and our lack of sleep made us a little stiff. After the hike we made our way to the visitor center to take a look. Apparently a Moose had been killed by a motorist and the Wardens had dragged the carcass out in to a field visible at the center. They do this in hopes to attract wildlife for people to see and take pictures of. There was only ravens on the moose during our visit. Oh well.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hemlock Bluff Look out.</td></tr>
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We returned back to camp to relax and again try our hand at working this wood stove. While the wood available by the parks is just hardwood it take some small pieces to get decent flame for heat, It is unfortunate that it is not a mix for good burning. As we chatted and ate snacks around 8 pm we called it a night and again I was persistent to try my hand at keeping the fire. Well again it was -30 and I gave it more attention which only led to me getting colder faster, climbing in and out of my bag. I could not produce the energy to constantly be warming the air within the bag. At one point my wife whispered that she was "toasty" and that I should just leave it alone for the night to get some sleep. That was music too my ears and I was able to get about 4 hours of sleep.</div>
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The next morning I was up at 6 am, got the fire going and awoke My wife to say if you want to get dressed up now is the time as the tent was cooking. She arose and we again had coffee on. Before long we had boiled eggs and oatmeal in our stomachs ready for our day. After some conversation we decided because of the lack of sleep we might take off for the weekend and take advantage of the extra day at home to "recoup" before work. So it was about-30 and we started the procession of taking down the tent. Within a hour or so we were packed up and saying good-bye to the wonderful scenery. The drive was beautiful and sunny. We had a great time, and discussed what we had learned while out and about my wifes first experience winter camping. </div>
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Hot tenting is going to be a great part of our outdoors life. It's fun, exciting and such a wonderful time to be out in the bush. We hope to maybe get another small trip in this year. Also during the off season I will be building a internal frame out of 1" EMT conduit for close short back country adventures where perhaps distance is 1-3km and couple trips are do-able if needed. </div>
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I hope to meet some like minded people to perhaps have some deep back country trips with. Also we are pondering "renting out" the set up for experienced campers who cannot at this time fork out the funds for the entire set up, this would be great and totally worth while for both parties. So stay tuned folks. Here's to successful winter-trekking trips and learning even more.</div>
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<span id="goog_634758957"></span><span id="goog_634758958"></span><br />Yakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13679570523430973275noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8407863149354317782.post-17149845453339962992013-02-15T10:38:00.002-05:002013-02-15T10:39:06.411-05:00Klaxon Howl On Kickstarter.<div style="text-align: center;">
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Klaxon Howl, The first store to stock Damn Yak Dry Goods has started a <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/959846303/klaxon-howl-new-york-pop-up" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Kickstarter Project</span></a> this week. Trying to get funding to open a Pop-up shop in NY with the possibilities of a B&M in the future or if funding is exceeded. If your Canadian and have a passion for amazing locally made men's wear inspired by historic Work-wear and Military clothing then you know the quality Klaxon Howl represents. Owner Matt Robinson has made some stellar quality goods with superior quality fabrics and textiles.<br />
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So head on over and lay some of your drink money down and get some great clothing for some great deals, including a limited edition Klaxon Howl Patch (just for this project) and help fund a location for this all Canadian Brand to infiltrate the US.<br />
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PS. Klaxon's Wool watchcaps are something else. The folding is perfect, Fits amazing and the wool is nice and warm (especially for us bald headed gents)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/959846303/klaxon-howl-new-york-pop-up" target="_blank">Kickstarter Limited Patch</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/959846303/klaxon-howl-new-york-pop-up" target="_blank">Klaxon Signature Watchcap - Best on the market.</a></td></tr>
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<br />Yakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13679570523430973275noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8407863149354317782.post-41786649159541139252013-01-29T11:16:00.001-05:002013-01-31T06:54:48.349-05:00From The Top.Hello everyone. Hope you New Years has been great, with upcoming adventures and trips in the works.<br />
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Things have been good here, Finally got around to setting up a hot tenting outfit for some winter back country camping. We invested in a <a href="http://www.porcupinecanvas.com/index.php/tents" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">8' x 10' wall tent</span></a>, <a href="http://www.kni-co.com/packer.shtml" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">a kni-co stove</span></a> and <a href="http://www.canadianoutdoorequipment.com/store/canadian-made-freight-toboggan.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">toboggan (similar to this, but used)</span></a>. within the coming weeks we will make a small weekend getaway to give the set up a whirl.<br />
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I have also commissioned world famous Canadian pipe maker <a href="http://www.parkspipes.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Michael Parks</span></a>, to make me "the ultimate camping pipe". I had drawn some sketches and with his expertise we worked out a final design that should basically blow my mind. So stay tuned for that.<br />
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I have been out hiking a lot, usually every weekend consists of at least a 4-5 hour hike. Weather has been great. Good times all! what have you all been up to? highlights?<br />
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For those to go way back "<a href="http://www.damnyak.ca/2010/12/gwg-canadas-oldest-denim-co.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Clicking Here</span></a>" will bring you back to my first actual post, then by clicking "Newer post" you can read this blog like a book.<br />
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So thanks again everyone, some new post will be coming up soon, also I am still available in Twitter and Instagram.<br />
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Later days.<br />
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<br />Yakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13679570523430973275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8407863149354317782.post-85883142963197142502012-10-05T06:49:00.001-04:002013-01-29T11:02:01.363-05:00Closing up Shop.<br />
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Yup, that's the word, After almost two years and exactly 200 posts of writing about my interest and finds here on www.damnyak.ca, I am closing up shop. It has been a great two years, meeting and conversing with all sorts of awesome people, sharing ideas, and experiences. It really was a hard decision to make and has taken many a months to finally assure myself this is something I want to do. Being part of the blogging world and seeing new things be released and fade to the back (even having a couple items myself), I have found sometimes its all to much. How many leather phone pouches do we need? How many pairs of jeans that can last a lifetime do we need? How many pairs of welted boots do I need (a lot it seems)? <a href="http://www.archivalclothing.com/2011/01/archival-resolutions-2012.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Archival clothing's resolutions definitely have it right</span></a>. I have found that I have all I need and there is not that much room in my life for new. When you buy to last, and you also write about it, you can only write so much till you feel like you are some what repeating yourself.<br />
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I will continue to do leather-work, I don't think I will ever stop, but I am for the time being I am not going to be offering any dry goods of sorts. So scoop them where they are available because that's the last you will see for a while, and possibly ever. I might take the odd custom job here and there, but juggling the blog, leather-work, my day-job, and other new interests is ending up being to much. And I still want to hike, bike, partake in some archery, camp and canoe.<br />
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So again I just want to say thank you to all the fantastic readers I have had over the past two years. Thank you for all your comments and feedback. Thank you all for your support with the leather-goods, It was truly an amazing experience that has opened my eyes to some great products and consumer morals that I have passed on to many a family and friends.<br />
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Another thank you goes out to all my fellow writers and site owners, Thanks to (in no particular order) <b><span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="http://www.tinder.ca/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Donna & Angus</span></a>, <a href="http://www.matchsticklake.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Brian</span></a>, <a href="http://be-cause-blog.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Alex</span></a>, <a href="http://10engines.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">James</span></a>, <a href="http://coyoteandthunder.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Obi</span></a>, <a href="http://topodesigns.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Jedd</span></a>, <a href="http://www.coldsplinters.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Jeff</span></a>, <a href="http://www.archivalclothing.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Lesli</span></a>, <a href="http://www.vintagehikingdepot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Kevin</span></a></span><span style="color: #990000;">,</span></b> and many more. It has so amazing to have "met" you all, I hope one day I can meet the ones I have yet to meet face to face to share some laughs.<br />
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Also just so everyone rests assured, any damnyak products guarantee of craftsmanship will still be honored for life. If there is a issue or a repair, send me an email and I will look after you the best I can.<br />
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In the mean time people looking for some stellar leather goods please hit up some of my cohorts <b><a href="http://www.hollowsleather.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Hollows</span> <span style="color: #cc0000;">Leather</span></a><span style="color: #cc0000;">,</span> <a href="http://corterleather.bigcartel.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Corter Leather</span></a>, or <a href="http://kgleather.tumblr.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">KG Leather</span></a></b>. Tell them Chris from damnyak sent you.<br />
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So Thank you all, and I hope to keep in touch. Please do not hesitate to shoot me a email, and for sure there still might be the odd post here and there.<br />
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Sleep well My darlings.<br />
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Chris Adamiak.......and for those wondering my last name is pronounced "Ah-Damn-Yak".<br />
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Yakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13679570523430973275noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8407863149354317782.post-85616331962260008912012-09-10T07:04:00.001-04:002012-09-10T07:04:15.300-04:00T. Sisman Thoro-bilt Boots.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This past weekend after a morning hike we decided to hit up a local thrift shop. While walking around there was all sorts of goodies there. There was about a half dozen pairs of NOS Wrangler "Cowboy Fit" Jeans in size 27 waist. Unfortunately I don't know to many people with a 27" waist. Yikes that's small.
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As I was taking a look in the shoes section I found these amazing boots. There are steel toe NOS Sisman Thoro-bilt Work boots. The crazy thing is that they were my size. The boots are extremely tough and well built. They are triple stitched on the side and have stitched and nailed Goodyear "Durocork" soles. They are unlined and have steel toes. I am guessing they are from the 50's, and compared to my Red Wing GT's they are almost identical, the biggest differences are the Sisman's have thicker leather, larger aluminum Grommets, and no piping along the top. </div>
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To be honest I never heard of the T.Sisman shoe Co. untill I saw these boots, but here is a bit of history for you all. I cannot find a actual date in which the company was started, but in 1910 the Underhill and Sisman Shoe Manufacturing Co. moved to Aurora from Markem. Then Unfortunately/fortunately the partnership ended later that year. This new found freedom let T.Sisman build a larger factory in Aurora shown below.<br />
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The T.Sisman Shoe Co. built many different shoes, from combat boots for the Canadian Army in WW2, to big snow boots, to uniform boots for everyday Police Officers. Again I am sorry as information is pretty scares of the subject. But I have found a couple ads from their work boots. and I cannot wait to sport these Thoro-Bilt Boots this fall, and they are actually comfortable for being old steel toe boots.</div>
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<br />Yakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13679570523430973275noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8407863149354317782.post-40231375918741269002012-09-02T07:22:00.001-04:002012-09-02T07:22:56.433-04:00Steam Era 2012.<div style="text-align: left;">
This Weekend is the Annual Milton Steam Era show, Bringing back to life all the grand machines that carved out agriculture and construction in this Country. In its 52nd year of showcasing rural heritage, they included a beautiful display of Steam Construction equipment. Below are some of pictures from out and about at the show as well as the Noon Whistle blow.</div>
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Yakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13679570523430973275noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8407863149354317782.post-12454222948800436312012-08-27T06:22:00.002-04:002012-08-28T05:56:03.671-04:00Making Sauerkraut.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This Weekend my Wife and I hit up the Aberfoyle Antique Market for some find. I was looking for a crock and my Wife was looking for a kitchen cabinet of sorts. Well we hit both marks perfect and now with my new 6 Gallon Medalta crock I could finally start making my own sauerkraut. The process is really quite simple and straight forward. Cut up cabbage mix it with a bit of salt and let it ferment naturally in its own juices. The recipe I found was from a blog called "<a href="http://www.wildfermentation.com/making-sauerkraut-2/" style="color: #cc0000;" target="_blank">Wild Fermentation</a>" . It is written by Sandor Katz, a culinary author, DIY food activist.</div>
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Any how for my recipe I used some carrots mixed with the cabbage for some extra sweetness. To prepare the sauerkraut first you must chop the cabbage as fine or as course as you would like. When you place a big handful of cabbage in the crock you just sprinkle on some salt, which draw the water out of the cabbage and make a brine to ferment the cabbage into sauerkraut.</div>
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Once you have a bunch of cabbage in the crock you pack it down with your fist, this make sure its tight withing the crock and helps pound out some water. At this point you just keep repeating these steps with the cabbage, carrots, and salt. Layer after layer and punch/pound. </div>
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In this recipe I used about 7 pounds of cabbage and a bag of carrots and 4 tablespoons of salt. I think I was a little over zealous with a 6 gallon crock, or I need to make allot more sauerkraut.</div>
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One you are all done, you put a glass or ceramic plate on top if the cabbage along with a weight of sorts. I used a huge mason jar willed with water to keep the plate down. From what I was reading if you do not keep the plate on top the fermentation process can expand the cabbage and make it overflow, thought I think I got enough room in the crock.</div>
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And there you have it; sauerkraut in the making. Every couple days remove the plate and give it a rinse, and withing 3 or 4 days you should start to taste the tangy-ness of the brine. and within 2-4 weeks you will have some killer kraut. Again check out "<a href="http://www.wildfermentation.com/making-sauerkraut-2/" style="color: #cc0000;" target="_blank">Wild Fermentation</a>" for more info on the process and the exact steps to making sauerkraut. I will keep you updated on the process over the next couple weeks, and If any of the readers have some tips please post in the comments below and let us know.</div>
<br />Yakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13679570523430973275noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8407863149354317782.post-13113541061602486122012-08-24T06:49:00.001-04:002012-08-24T13:03:34.759-04:00L.L. Bean Pipes & Tobacco.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have been on a bit of a L.L. Bean antique kick lately. I have known of Bean's pipes for quite some time, but the market goes up and down quite frequently with them. Sometimes the Bay will be flooded with them and then you will not see any for quite sometime. I picked this one up and again it was in decent shape, took about a hour to bring back to near perfect condition. I have yet to smoke it as it has not come up in the rotation of the 23 pipes I own. From scouring the net I have come up with a bit of history regarding L.L. Bean and his / Their pipes and Tobacco.</div>
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L.L. Bean sold pipes and tobacco from the 40's all the way up till about 1985. The majority of the pipes were Smokemasters made by Briarcraft. Briarcraft exsisted until 1950 when they closed. In 1967 the name and system were bought by US made Dr. Grabow and continued making Smokemasters until the mid 90's. Smokemasters were sold as coupon pipes and the natural finished pipes were stamped L.L. Bean and sold in their store and through their catalogs until about 1985. Grabow continued making regular Smokemasters w/o the L.L. Bean stamping until the mid 90's. </div>
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From what I have scene is that there is some harder to find L.L. bean pipes as well, There is a rustic bent Meerschaum lined pipe, as well as a freehand made by Smokemasters. The majority of the Smokemasters use a unique system of a bent pipe cleaner as a filter and are marked on the stem with an orange diamond shape. There was also a second maker of Bean's "moisture proof" pipe, it had a clear section right after the bowl before the mouthpiece so you could see the moisture collected...ick!</div>
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As for the L.L. Bean Tobacco, that to is long gone. However, some followers and fans were able to find out what brands Bean used for their own blend. From what I can find there was two Bean tobaccos. The first was "Pipe Tobacco for Hunters & Fishermen". This turned out to be nothing more than the common "Edgeworth Ready Rubbed". Which too is no longer available, but there is <a href="http://pipesandcigars.com/ererumapitob.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">bulk match tobacco</span></a> available. The second Bean tobacco was "Bean's Special Blend", which is now been replicated by "Park-Lane Fireside"<span style="color: #cc0000;"> <span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="http://cigarsandpipes.com/tobacco/bulk-tobacco/park-lane-hand-blended-tobaccos/park-lane-fireside.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">available here</span></a>.</span> </span></div>
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It has also been said that L.L. Bean himself was a huge fan of "Prince Albert" Tobacco, <a href="https://100.llbean.com/story/do-you-have-prince-albert-in-a-can/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">this was told to a Bean fan</span></a> by one of the Flagship stores senior employee who recalled selling it back in the day. So one can deduct that bean L.L. Bean smoked it because of the fact that he didn't sell stuff that he did not use himself. Its great to know that in 2012 you can still experience the L.L.Bean tobacco and pipes. Unfortunately in today's society its unacceptable to sell these things, as it would be great to still get the Bean tinned tobacco and see what shapes of pipes would be available today.<br />
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Yakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13679570523430973275noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8407863149354317782.post-57549303844884772542012-08-17T12:56:00.000-04:002012-08-17T13:09:27.521-04:00Ball and Buck + 10engines Mesh Back for Sale.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Dropped online today is the fantastic collaboration between Boston's <a href="http://shop.ballandbuck.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Ball and Buck</span></a> + <span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="http://10engines.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">10engines</span></a>.</span> This beaut of a mesh back will be sure to serve you proper for year to come. Can't wait to get my hands on one. I would suggest email B&B as the only shipping to Canada is $100. Come on B&B, Canadians are people too.</div>
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If any of you cats follow 10engines, which I am sure you do; You know he is a legend when it come to Carhartt, and you can defiantly feel the old Carhartt hunting vibe radiating from this cap. Stellar work Gents.</div>
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From 10engines:</div>
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<i>"New release; Ball and Buck + 10engines. Made in the USA five panel hat; headliner-scraping crown, mesh back, old time "USA" molded snap, doubled canvas duck front, and pony boy gold rope stitching. Visor lined with Ball and Buck's signature 8oz camo.</i></div>
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<i>Back story: Last year I approached the Boston store Ball and Buck simply to get some manufacturing info and we ended up working together to create a product that reflects both our sensibilities. One of the guys is also my neighbor... so a lot of porch-rocking discussions. They will release this along with some heavier-weight products at an in-store event next Thursday; RSVP.</i></div>
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<i>Be great to see people at the in-store do, <a href="http://shop.ballandbuck.com/products/ball-and-buck-10-engines-trucker-hat" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">but you may also buy a hat online through their shop</span></a> - use code 10engines for $3 off and free shipping thus $25 shipped. (note code expires after event date 8/23/12, thx)</i></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D5ivrKdhafU/UC52G98TgTI/AAAAAAAAB-0/jo0Wb7esvlg/s1600/tumblr_m5vjmkw5BC1qzhog9o1_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D5ivrKdhafU/UC52G98TgTI/AAAAAAAAB-0/jo0Wb7esvlg/s320/tumblr_m5vjmkw5BC1qzhog9o1_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Yakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13679570523430973275noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8407863149354317782.post-37026179606208779012012-08-13T07:51:00.001-04:002012-08-13T07:51:21.547-04:00L.L. Bean' s Waterproof Dressing.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZO6pM61I-rU/UCjp3fFFmxI/AAAAAAAAB6k/Qh8KYCyeK5c/s1600/tinfront.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZO6pM61I-rU/UCjp3fFFmxI/AAAAAAAAB6k/Qh8KYCyeK5c/s320/tinfront.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Finding antique L.L. Bean items seems to be a bit more difficult than say "vintage" L.L. Bean. To me personally "vintage" refers to clothing, shoes, and wear-ables. "Antique" to me refers to everything else, like tools, furniture etc. I often scour the various internet retailer and auction sites looking for a well price collectibles. About 3 weeks ago I stumbled on to this partially used can of "Beans waterproof dressing". It is a 1/4 Pint can, and the label was still in good shape. The price on the can is $0.25, hoping to be able to date the can by the price I dug out my Spring/Summer 1950 catalog to see what the price was then. Sure enough the can was in there, and for $0.25. So that makes it at least 62 years old. I wonder if the dressing is still usable? As there is no ingredients on the package I cannot verify that it contains beeswax, which if it did I would think that it would still be good. L.L. Bean should get Obenauf's to produce some of their LP dressing in a reissue of the old tins with like this.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gCA5UesVqe4/UCjp8KsKv1I/AAAAAAAAB6s/Bvj55ty8Mi4/s1600/1950cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gCA5UesVqe4/UCjp8KsKv1I/AAAAAAAAB6s/Bvj55ty8Mi4/s320/1950cat.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Yakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13679570523430973275noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8407863149354317782.post-60186984736666397892012-07-31T07:11:00.000-04:002012-07-31T07:23:28.532-04:00Juniper Ridge - Desert Cedar Backpacker's Cologne.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sw7fMiro6fU/UBexidEUKhI/AAAAAAAAB4k/9E-98AF4q8I/s1600/cedar.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sw7fMiro6fU/UBexidEUKhI/AAAAAAAAB4k/9E-98AF4q8I/s400/cedar.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
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Dubbed as "Snapshots of life on the trail" <a href="http://www.juniperridge.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Juniper Ridges</span></a> Field Lab Series of colognes, oils and perfumes are really just that. Hand picked by a group of outdoors-men and women with the knowledge of what plants will make amazing scents. The clippings are gathered and brought to their awesome Econoline Van that holds their converted Essential Oil still, that in another life was made for producing whiskey. Usually showcasing their distilling methods at farmers markets or local street festivals around the area that they have collected the flora.</div>
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I was privileged to be able to try out their "Desert Cedar Backpackers Cologne". Sent to me by good buddy Obi Kaufmann, one of the folks behind Juniper Ridge, an <a href="http://obikaufmann.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">artist</span></a>, and the mastermind at <span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="http://coyoteandthunder.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Coyote and Thunder</span></a>. </span>As I scrambled to open the box à la <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFlcqWQVVuU" style="color: #cc0000;" target="_blank">the Nintendo 64 kid</a>, I gave a spritz to the room. The first note you smell is the dry, clean, warming smell of cedar. I am not sure if there is a blend of EO in this cologne, but from what I can pick out is that there seems to be a hint of a citrus, just a hint. The citrus might just be from the cedar however, as they both have that same effect on my "scent palette".<br />
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Regardless of what exact scents their is a blend of, you are left with a fantastic scent that has quite long wearing. I have been wearing this cologne steadily for 5 days now, and I am still rewarded with the woodsy aroma every time I take a deep breath through my nose. Seeing as wearing a cologne that smells like smoke and B.O. would also probably remind me of being on long wilderness trips, I think my wife, friends and co-workers probably would not enjoy that blend of scents on a daily basis. Juniper Ridge on the other hand has perfected capturing the riveting scents that we enjoy while backpacking, canoeing, or just hanging out in the woods, and done so with an amazing hands-on experience that can teach people about their local plants and their uses in making fresh aromatics. Please swing by <a href="http://www.juniperridge.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Juniper Ridges</span></a> site and pick yourself or your loved one's up a bottle of these limited edition scents. They really, really are something else.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Econoline and Whiskey Turned EO still.</td></tr>
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<br />Yakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13679570523430973275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8407863149354317782.post-23721855166993710552012-07-24T06:58:00.001-04:002012-07-24T07:55:52.293-04:00D.Y. / Woods Canada Renewed Canoe Packs PT.2<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GMeY5-NKpig/UA55nYmRosI/AAAAAAAAB1g/eIbLjUu360Q/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GMeY5-NKpig/UA55nYmRosI/AAAAAAAAB1g/eIbLjUu360Q/s320/1.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fresh 9 oz leather straps for hauling heavy gear.</td></tr>
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Here are the last two of the Vintage Woods Canada Canoe packs that I have refurbished from a Muskoka Summer camp, Just to refresh, They have been stripped of old leather, cleaned, fabric repairs done, and new heavy dudty lether added as well as a tumpline. The first (No.02) is still available, <span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="http://www.damnyak.ca/2012/06/damn-yak-woods-renewed-canoe-packs.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">pics can be seen here</span></a>.</span> These packs are getting harder to find as they never give up. Shoot me a email to purchuse. To see if the pack you are intrested in has been sold please visit the "Trading post" on the right.<br />
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No. 03 )</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Original No.100 stencil. (No. 03) </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l-_i0Oh9CTM/UA55pU2I2oI/AAAAAAAAB14/BhyZ6OiyNTM/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l-_i0Oh9CTM/UA55pU2I2oI/AAAAAAAAB14/BhyZ6OiyNTM/s320/4.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
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The No. 200 below with side axe holder turned out great. Instead of the original vinyl that ripped and tore, I used veg tanned leather treated with Obenauf's LP. Alittle more traditional, it should last twice as long. This project was a blast, seeing these bags take shape and become completely useable was fantastic. They really will be able keep up once again with the roughest of adventurer.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Me2w2bvfKQI/UA55vA7G1BI/AAAAAAAAB2E/COgBSrM46Uw/s1600/no4-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Me2w2bvfKQI/UA55vA7G1BI/AAAAAAAAB2E/COgBSrM46Uw/s320/no4-1.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Original No.200 Stencil <span style="background-color: white;">(No.04)</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #cc0000;">SOLD</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Axe holder <span style="background-color: white;">(No.04)</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #cc0000;">SOLD</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xYeMJ4hLtPQ/UA55wzFcxZI/AAAAAAAAB2c/ca9wOLG2dr8/s1600/no4-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xYeMJ4hLtPQ/UA55wzFcxZI/AAAAAAAAB2c/ca9wOLG2dr8/s320/no4-4.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ThEt0deDtQw/UA55xZE27-I/AAAAAAAAB2k/J2plPxm5tNo/s1600/no4-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ThEt0deDtQw/UA55xZE27-I/AAAAAAAAB2k/J2plPxm5tNo/s320/no4-5.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Original leather patch <span style="background-color: white;">(No.04)</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #cc0000;">SOLD</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0XqR6cesw8g/UA55x6kXU6I/AAAAAAAAB2s/nc66Alv8JPE/s1600/no4-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0XqR6cesw8g/UA55x6kXU6I/AAAAAAAAB2s/nc66Alv8JPE/s320/no4-6.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heavy duty canoe pack. <span style="background-color: white;">(No.04)</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #cc0000;">SOLD</span></td></tr>
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<br /></div>Yakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13679570523430973275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8407863149354317782.post-66063032501978127272012-07-20T06:01:00.000-04:002012-07-20T06:01:14.115-04:00A Field Test: The 180 Stove.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Its time to take a look at another wood burning camp stove and put it through its paces. This time we have the Colorado made and invented 180 Stove. Made from 304 stainless, this tough, sturdy stove comes to us from the 180 Tack Co. The compact nature of this stove allows it to be even stored in your back pocket. If I had to put it in a comparable size, I would say that the <a href="http://www.180tack.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">180 stove</span></a> is about the size of two decks of cards laid side by side when collapsed. Weighting in at 10.4oz. the <a href="http://www.180tack.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">180 stove</span></a> is a touch heavier than the last stove we tested (<a href="http://www.damnyak.ca/2012/05/field-test-littlbug-junior.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">the Littlbug Jr</span></a>.), but it also has a fairly large cooking area at 7” X 6” which is probably the reason for that extra weight.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NxKtZ5lJ7R8/UAfpsxnzElI/AAAAAAAABz8/l5P58wM0ZFk/s1600/package.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NxKtZ5lJ7R8/UAfpsxnzElI/AAAAAAAABz8/l5P58wM0ZFk/s320/package.jpg" width="263" /></a>
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When you take the stove out of its heavy mil plastic bag you will see all the pieces nestle together to form a ½” thick package, with a slim chance for any pieces to go missing. Set up is a breeze, and with only 6 pieces it comes together is seconds. In order to assemble the user connects the two sidepieces to the back panel via some tabs, then slip the sturdy cross bars into their tabs on the side panels. The stamped or laser cut “180 stove” on the side panels act as air flow ports allowing ample air to fuel the fire. When you have the stove all fitted together properly it forms damn near solid box that can handle the heaviest of pots, go ahead throw your cast iron on there, it can take it.</div>
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Again I will mention that like all these thin stainless stove there is of course a slim chance of cutting yourself on an edge, so please be careful. Unlike the past two stoves showcases the 180 stove basically makes compact fire pit. You build you fire on the ground and the
<a href="http://www.180tack.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">180 stove</span></a> acts like a grate, but also adding the bonus features of wind protection. The front of the 180 allows for incredibly easy access to adding fuel to the fire, the large opening can handle large pinecones and decent size sticks with no problem. Even allowing for extra long stick to be fed in as the unburned portion just rests on the ground.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UpphXvDlCaw/UAfpw1RWqEI/AAAAAAAAB0s/MJqBrW_Sc4g/s1600/whole+package.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UpphXvDlCaw/UAfpw1RWqEI/AAAAAAAAB0s/MJqBrW_Sc4g/s320/whole+package.jpg" width="231" /></a>
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Lighting the stove is as easy as all the rest. Its all in the sticks you choose, starting with small twigs and pine branches I moved to pencil and permanent marker size sticks, quite quickly getting the heat you need to boil some water or cook some foot. When I was doing the testing I was using my 1 litre Zebra billy can, and as you can see from the pictures that the cooking surface of the
<a href="http://www.180tack.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">180 stove</span></a> is much larger than the pot, I think this is the only down side of this cooking set up, as I feared I was loosing a lot of heat around the pot. Now if I was cooking with a shallower wider pot I am sure the boil time would have been shortened exponentially. So now that I think about it its not so much of the stoves problem, but more of that the user would have to possible tweak there set up to get maximum efficacy. Also with that being said and like I mentioned in other posts that I am in no rush while camping, boil time is not that important to me. I just found that the issue is that the extra loss of heat meant that I had to gather more sticks to be burned in order to bring that water to a boil.</div>
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Another good point about the
<a href="http://www.180tack.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">180 stove</span></a> is that even if you had just your standard fire pit at the campsite, no need to make a separate fire just to cook. The durable natural of the stainless steel allows you to rest the 180 directly into your main fire and cook there (perhaps off to the side, but still).</div>
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The 180 stove is a solid choice for outdoor cooking, it provide the user with the ability to have a larger cooking surface for large pots and keep a even heat across the bottom. This is a great option of people looking to use bio fuel for group outings and trips. For its lightweight it sure is a sturdy stove, and the windscreens functions beautifully. I also really like the fact that this bad boys packs down into a rectangle. Easy to store and its simple shape does not gobble up more room than it needs. 180 Tack also has a separate ash / snow pan for the 180 for users who do not want to scorch the earth or cook in the wintertime.</div>
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I just want to say thank you to Curt Linville from 180 Tack for the opportunity to try the
<a href="http://www.180tack.com/" style="text-align: left;" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">180 stove</span></a> out and to experience the ease in which this stove can adapt from small cooks to full on fire box. You can pick the 180 stove directly at <a href="http://www.180tack.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">180 Tack</span></a> or in Canada at <span style="color: #cc0000;"><a href="http://www.workwearcanada.com/search/index.cfm?Search=180" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Bushcraft Canada</span></a>.</span><br />
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<br />Yakhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13679570523430973275noreply@blogger.com1