"upon further review" there should be a few things I should make mention of. My map case is of the smaller variety measuring some 15"x15". Stiffer than most larger cases. Also my pro pack snugs right up against my forward thwart so the case has a nice place for a bit of support behind it.

I am of mixed feelings about the mounting of the GPS and depth finder. I have never had a GPS with me and my depth finder was of the portable variety and it sat at the bottom of the boat. I want to ditch the housing and mount it more or less permanently.

For viewing reasons I would prefer to have it mounted at or above the thwart but you have a valid point about having it recessed below the gunnels to avoid any hangups with limbs. The nice thing about the RAM mount is that it is quickly infinitely and securely adjustable. The thought of an additional RAM mount could be a solution but it pops another 3/4 lb on.   Maybe I should stop being a woos about it and slap it on there.

I'm sure the old time trippers are laughing right now as I'm worried about putting a few extra pounds on a 35lb boat when they regularly portage a 70lb boat. 

nctry_Ben wrote on Dec 15^th, 2010 at 12:54am:


NOW YOUV'E WENT AND DONE IT!! ..................Let me know what days your going so I can make sure not to be there

Ben I run a Bell Merlin and am pleased as punch with it. I would like to paddle a prism just for kicks, they look to be a good ride.

What is your gunnel material? I opted for metal because it is easier to machine. If so you might consider a Ram mount bolted right to your gunnel. I have two side mounts for a rod holder bolted right onto my gunnels.

All this talk has caused me to re-evaluate how to mount the GPS and depth finder. Using the Ram mount underneath instead of on top the thwart seems like the obvious way to go, all things considered. The mount itself not as heavy as I remembered. The mount and garmin 60csx goes about 1 lb. I really like the adjustability that the Ram mount is able to achieve. Maybe that could be a solution for you. They have them in just about every configuration to hold almost anything.

mastertangler wrote on Dec 27^th, 2010 at 12:28am:

H E L L O!  I DIDN'T get a pulled muscle in my back on a WCP solo last season from STEPPING out of my canoe in a non-threatening scenario.  Let's just say that running the Quetico Falls Chain in high water was good practice for my WCP trip and I still managed to find a few challenges in WCP.

Quote:

Not lashing your stuff in your canoe?  Do you REALLY love swimming after your gear.  And YES, I DO secure my gear ... carabiners make for reasonably fast connections to your boat or other packs that are secure to the boat.

Do you carry a bailer (that you can get to while you are in your seat)?

dd

I'm thinkin' that MT has not seen this years snowpack, 3 1/2' (feet) in my yard. More up north. Might make for an interesting Spring and Summer. It is still December, and we typically add feet more in Jan-Mar. I'm very thankful for my big blower.

mastertangler wrote on Dec 27^th, 2010 at 3:18pm:


I think June will be an interesting month. I plan on doing the Minjim route paddling a circle route and entering the actual Minjim route from
Royd. I think the extra water will be a good thing through the "Nile" section and possibly other places. I'm going back I hope in July and will be interested to see the difference in waterlevels. The boot sucking portages will be the worst.

I haven't been very good at lashing my gear in on lake travel. But in the WCPP the risks are so much greater. I never heard of a ditch kit before this year and feel that is a no brainer too. There was discussion on another site also on this. I wonder sometimes what world I've been living in. I got to thinking my way of lashing when I do lash my stuff in is flawed... I'm thinking of drilling holes in my gunnels and making loops where I can whip up a quick sort of net to hold my stuff in. I know we have an actual net sort of made for that on our rescue sled for our fire dept. The sled is pulled behind our snowmobile for remote rescues and the net is sort of thin bungee material. My packs stick up to high for a cover I think. I do usually tie in my portage yoke. Couldn't imagine losing that on a trip. Up there there is no room for error, so my next few months are going to be spent preplanning these important aspects. How many people go without even dry run putting packs in canoes to see how they fit? I made that mistake a couple years ago. We had three people in a Winonah Minn 3. It was a May trip and we packed heavy, in my opinion. My duluth pack ended up with a broken buckle from jamming the packs in a tight space. I think we'd have been much better off with a tandem and a solo with that much gear.