Is the level of expertise I perceive from many of the responses. As much as I love paddling, I have never developed the skills many of the responders have.
My skills are limited to making the boat go where I want it to, when I want it to, always on flat water or rivers.
Thanks for all the insights you folks give on the sport. I hope younger people realize what a resource this is.

Yes some good info and thoughts. Even if I don’t agree with all it’s good to expand my horizons. Many here with a lifetime of experience.

@string said:
Is the level of expertise I perceive from many of the responses.

It’s a treasure chest of great advice. I’d love to arrange coaching sessions with some of the expert technicians here. Maybe someday I’ll win the lottery and can buy lots of airline tickets.

The “how to take a crap in the woods” thread was especially informative. I don’t quite have it down yet but I have been practicing.

A woman wrote a book by almost that title several years ago.

@pblanc said:
The “how to take a crap in the woods” thread was especially informative. I don’t quite have it down yet but I have been practicing.

Pete, thanks for brightening the end of my long and stressful workday!!!

@pblanc said:
The “how to take a crap in the woods” thread was especially informative. I don’t quite have it down yet but I have been practicing.

I tried it but to many bears were looking.

I would think that all those bears might scare it out of you.

They would. I would not feel comfortable kayaking or camping around them with nothing but my _ _ _ _ in my hand.

I’m impressed not only in the expertise of many of the folks here but also by the general decency of most paddlers. I don’t believe I’ve met a Pnetter yet that wasn’t a pleasure to paddle and camp with - especially the Ozark Rendezvous crowd. This is an exceptional bunch.

There are specialties in paddling that I was all but unaware of when I first started coming here. (Though until quite recently I hadn’t considered pooping in the woods a particularly remarkable skill… As an aside, perhaps , like sharks, bears scare it out of us so we’ll taste better when they eat us.) I started paddling Canadian lakes as a kid with my family and regularly paddled a largish local Midwestern river when at home. I canoe camped quite a bit and could put a good many miles under the keel in a day, but I didn’t really appreciate the skill levels that could be achieved or that are required in other environments. I think that was simply because of where I’ve lived, and mostly paddled. I’ve come to believe that as paddlers we’re all to a fairly large degree the products of the waters we’ve mostly paddled. There are folks here who’ve paddled extensively in a great many environments that I’m much less familiar with and they’ve developed skills to match.

I was unfamiliar, for instance, with the navigational and tide understanding the sea kayakers take for granted. I understood there were skills to running whitewater but there was so little of it near where I usually paddled that I never really appreciated the wizardry that good whitewater paddlers seem to achieve with such ease. I’d just never paddled or become acquainted with any of that crowd. Same with the really good racers and freestyle folks. And photographers, and naturalists… A lot comes together around a community of paddlers. These boards serve a real function in highlighting the diversity of skills and the degree of specialization possible in this sport and appreciation for the many different skill sets that come into play. Its good to take stock of that from time to time.

Thanks for the thread, string.

I’ve enjoyed the diversity of this forum, good to hear other perspectives on paddling. It is a very diverse sport (and forum) in terms of craft, environment, and users, so there is a lot to learn. You can make paddling your own. Meaning you set your own goals, develop your own style, and choose when and where you want to go. I enjoy the freedom paddling provides as an individual but recognize I can learn from others. Paddle sport is safer and more enjoyable as a result of shared knowledge.

When it comes to paddling ,there are some things I’m pretty decent at and other skills I totally suck at, but regardless, it is almost always fun!. As I get older, I find myself redefining my paddling goals but have a greater appreciation for what I still can do.

In heaven, I’m sure there’s a boat and water- might be a short plastic rec boat, an old aluminum canoe, or something sleek and fast. It’s all good as long as there’s water and a boat. As far as s##ttin’ in the woods, that’s all good as well, so long as it don’t end up on me! In heaven, I’m pretty sure the Lord supplies tp instead of leaves.

I love posts about who does/who doesn’t wear their pfd,
Haven’t seen that one in a couple of weeks.
I think we’re overdue for a new one.
They just so damn informational, and such a joy to read.

Two others I love; wood vs composite, and straight vs bent shaft paddles.

My favorite:
What is the best multi purpose canoe?
Poster wants to be able to paddle the Zambezi river, Lake Superior, farm ponds, or miles & miles of flatwater, carrying
the wife, a 2 year old toddler, and their a 160 pound Rottweiler.
Oh, and by the way; they want the boat to weigh under 4o
pounds, and their boat budget (paddles, and pfds included) is $650.00

BOB

What’s wrong with that? You old paddlers have no vision of the future where I get everything I want for less than beer money.

Some of us old paddlers have no future.

@pblanc said:
Some of us old paddlers have no future.

pblanc…Sometimes the problem with being “over the hill” is you can see the bottom on the other side getting closer.

PS…Bob…don’t know about the rotti but when my retriever gets restless his 80#s usually shifts to one side or the other quickly in the canoe. Which can be interesting if you were compensating on the other side previously. Might as well request rock hard stability in the Bob multipurpose canoe.

What I find impressiveness per all these discussions
is though snow’s long melted the huskies still are mushin’,
and old chestnuts still are droppin’ though tree’s twisted up in vines
round the pendant codependents that skudder regs within their minds,

Thank goodness, though, for we’ve still got beer money,

I need to get out and meet some of you old paddlers while we’re still on the green side of the grass.
It is obvious that such fine tuned sarcasm can only come with decades of experience.
Luckily I have one nearby who keeps me centered by almost hurting my feelings once in awhile. Presuming I have feelings.

Feelings? Wasn’t that a song or something?

@canoeswithduckheads said:
What I find impressiveness per all these discussions
is though snow’s long melted the huskies still are mushin’,
and old chestnuts still are droppin’ though tree’s twisted up in vines
round the pendant codependents that skudder regs within their minds,

Thank goodness, though, for we’ve still got beer money,

I’ll drink to that, Thomas.

@castoff said:
Feelings? Wasn’t that a song or something?

My favorite personal quote: If you want feelings, wear a skirt.
Unless you ate a Scot.