I take a cheap but rugged paddle for my back-up and use it as a walking stick when portaging. The worse the portages and heavier the loads the more it protects me from injury.

I bought some of this stuff for use around house.
So far it's proven to be as advertised.
Like All adhesives, surface prep is key.
I could see using this with a Velcro strap as a paddle holder or whatever.
Take some extras and alcohol prep pads in case you needed a repair in field.
It removes easily, if/when you want.

(You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)

I always take a spare when solo or in a group of two that won't be splitting up at some point. A group intending to stay together for a whole week long trip? One spare might be overkill.

The last tandem trip I did was planned as a three week outing into new territory. Three/four hours from the put-in I heard a crack that sounded bad. Bow paddler's graphite (fairly new) paddle busted at the grip. I offered epoxy - he countered with return policy and our spare. He used the spare for the rest of the trip with good results.

My own paddle is a really old Styrofoam, kevlar, epoxy combo that you don't see any more. It came as a free perk with my canoe. The store personal said no, no, no - that's not the paddle you want for where you are going. Hey, it was the most expensive paddle in the store and the one I thought I could deal with. Still have it, use it and I trust it a whole lot more years later. Still take a spare incase mother nature's waves rip it out of my hands.

Use to go with a guy who would drop his paddle in mid stroke and yell "fish on!" If I were him I'd take two spares on a solo.

Super DD. Thanks! 

mastertangler wrote on Oct 8^th, 2010 at 8:54pm:

Here ya go!  Edge width of the clip is 1 inch.  They are called "Super Clips" and seemed to be marketed directly to Big Lots ... at least their name/logo is on the back side of the packaging.  You can see the latch release on the upper-right clip.

(You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)

Well, I thought about a stronger adhesive ... bottom line, I'd rather occasionally re-glue rather than patch holes in my canoe.

dd

I can't begin to picture the set-up. Speaking of picture......that would be worth a thousand words (as they say).

I wonder if some 3M automotive 2 way tape might not work better than the glue. My understanding is that it is pretty tough stuff. My paddling partner who works at R&D for Nissan suggested that line of thinking......I'll ask him again what and where this product can be procured. I remember being skeptical but he gave me some examples of uses. He also told me to be sure when I stuck it on that's where I wanted it cause your not getting it off. Then it would be able to flex with the boat......it's a thought :exclamation

mastertangler wrote on Oct 8^th, 2010 at 5:58pm:

I picked up some cheap plastic clips from a local discount store (its called Big Lots here.)  They have a foam/adhesive back to them, which I get rid of in favor of a stronger bond to the canoe.  I then super glue them to the interior hull.  (I start with the gel form of the glue and once its dried, I'll fill in any gaps with the liquid form.)

The clips have a circular plastic loop that is a permanent part of the clip at one end and has a "latch" on the other end.  I slide one side of a plastic strap guide (it looks like a squashed number 8) into the circular clip and then run the nylon strap through the other side.  The straps I use are 1/2 inch nylon (with their own buckle) and perfectly fit the strap guide.  I use two of the clip arrangements, vertically about 8 inches apart, to secure the blade part of the canoe.

One word of caution.  I have a kevlar hull which will flex and I'm also dropping a back beside the lashed down paddle.  Eventually, the clip will pop loose.  So I always take a couple of spare clips and super glue for "in the field" repairs ...  1 such repair over a 2 week trip is not uncommon.  To minimize the flex issue, I'll generally place the clips near one of the internal stiffeners of the canoe. (It seems that the top clip pops much more often than the bottom one, so I suspect the detachments are more a function of a pack load/unload than portaging.)

BTW:  I use these same clips as mounts for the golf club sleeves I use as rod/eyelet protectors ... on each side of the bow ... and as a lash point for the back-end of the rod/reel.  I use velcro straps for the sleeves and "deal-e-bops" around the butt end of the rods.  This is part of the "counter weight" that the paddle balances out.  This makes for a pretty workable rod "holster" from which the rods can be easily extracted.

My canoe is sufficiently balanced with these "extras" inside that I rarely have more than 1 hand on the gunwales while I'm portaging the canoe ... if the terrain is relatively flat ... sometimes no-hands.

dd

DentonDoc wrote on Oct 8^th, 2010 at 4:36pm:


DD
How did you mount the strap to the side of your canoe? I have been wanting to mount it to the side as well.
Thanks,

mastertangler wrote on Oct 8^th, 2010 at 11:30am:

More room?  I'd say that is a function of how you put it into your canoe.  For me, as a solo paddler, I often take a Bending Branches bent-shaft as my backup paddle (although this year, I experimented with 'yak paddles as my backup).  When my bent-shaft is placed into my canoe, one lash point is the rear thwart (just behind my seat) and then the wide end of the paddle is secured inside a nylon strap loop that is anchored to the side of my canoe.  In this position, the paddle actually follows the contour of the canoe as it bends toward the aft end.  The paddle stays in this spot unless needed (meaning that I portage with it in that position ... it tends to offset the the weight of other gear lashed in toward the front).  

As for a fillet board, I was lucky enough to have purchased a triangular-shaped thwart bag (I seem to remember it was from Granite Gear) many years ago.  I use it primarily for fishing and related gear.  However, it has a 1/4 inch plastic plate in a zipper compartment in the bottom.  It was probably intended to be a fillet board since it has a hole with hanging strap in one end.  This is also where I store spare zip lock bags for storing fillets (after having to trek back to camp more than one to get one on earlier trips).

dd

I need a "real" spare paddle. I have been wanting one for some time now to be my primary paddle when I'm fishing (My carbon paddle is always wanting to blow away when I set it down..... )

I am leaning toward a straight shaft (takes up less room :question) probably a bending branches of some sort. It will do double duty as filet board as well  . I wonder if Stu at BWJ uses his Expedition model as a filet board  .