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- #41
Is there anything wrong with using our dry bag? Gruder, What kind of problems are there? I believe the worse things are bear, snakes, scorpions, and mosquitoes. How far off base am I?
Kayaking the back country
- Thread starter blackfoot
- Start date
Don't know about scorpions, but I'd add coyotes/wild dogs to the list. Maybe biting flies, but you're just a tad early in the year for those to be a major concern unless there's a massive herd of deer (or a feedlot) around. You'll see more snakes in the water than on land, I'd wager, so be cautious both places (but not so much so that it makes the trip stressful!).
Maybe keep one drybag for food/toiletries/tree hanging, making sure the stuff that stays on the ground never goes in that bag.
Has your wife done much camping? If not, you should spend a weekend in a tent beforehand, even if it's just in the backyard. (Plus, you make sure the tent is in good shape, aired out, etc.)
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- #43
I included scorpions because my whole family rented a cabin once in Tennessee and we found one inside. Coyotes don't normally bother humans...I think.
I don't expect much in the way of bear, but I don't know the area. Snakes and bugs, that is what I was the most concerned with.Yes, my wife and I were friends but I wasn't too interested. She went along on a camping trip with us. She stayed with my uncle and I (we can't seem to stay on trails) no matter where we went. I thought, you don't see to many chicks doing this stupid stuff. That's how she
Nice! My wife tricked/hooked me in much the same way, and continues to indulge my outdoorsy exploits. She tolerated a Yellowstone backcountry trip in a way that makes me smile each time I think of the trip. She's heard about noise scaring bears away, so our hikes were constantly accompanied by songs and her conversations with non-apparent bears. Constantly. (Which reminds me -- after this trip, you're ready to kayak Yellowstone lake! Something else on my to-do list...)
I have have a 16' Nova Craft Pal. great solo or tandem. 900lb capacity seems to serve my needs well. I had considered using a double ended paddle with it, but it turns out that I quite enjoy using the single ender. Not to get caught up on tradition, I think I have seen writings that mention quite early the use of a double ender with a canoe.
Yep, it sure does.... can't believe you told herI laughed pretty hard at that. Then I had to explain the whole thing to my wife. It sounds a lot worse when you are explaining it to someone.
might make her think twice about the trip 
Have a good trip, make sure you take some photos to post here.
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- #47
Yep, it sure does.... can't believe you told her
Have a good trip, make sure you take some photos to post here.
I am sure there will be too many photos taken. That is one of my favorite hobbies.
Dry bag works great for that. We have just always made sure (for the most part) that what was in the food bag got hung with the food bag. But I don't worry about hanging the food when I'm not in bear country.
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- #49
Well, less than a week till my trip. I am quite excited. I now have a friend and his daughter coming along, too. My wife and I bought jungle hammocks, but we haven't tried them yet. I got one case of MRE's for quicker meals. We are getting to the final countdown. The biggest problem is figuring out how we are going to get two kayaks and a canoe down there.
Ah, now you can start your collection of miniature Tabasco sauce bottles.
As for the hammocks, I beg you, try spending a night in one before you leave on the trip. They may be just what you expect and want, though in my case they failed miserably to live up to my vision of beachfront-corona-in-hand-swaying-in-the-breeze-without-a-care-in-the-world comfort. YMMV -- better to figure out if it does before the trip!Bon voyage -- I can't wait to get the trip report and see some pics of the Bluegrass!
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- #51
Ah, now you can start your collection of miniature Tabasco sauce bottles.
Bon voyage -- I can't wait to get the trip report and see some pics of the Bluegrass!
The hammocks scare me too. I haven't found a way to try it out first, though. The place we are hoping to set up camp is only about an hour from our truck, so I am bringing the tent as a back up.
Got a drop ceiling in your house? You could hang one from the beams above the tiles. Otherwise, head to a local park or something for at least a couple hours of test napping
. You might also find that you'd like a self-inflating mat for padding (either for the hammock or the tent). The hammocks will likely be fine, but definitely better safe than sorry. Trust me -- debilitating back pain two days into a week-long trip ain't fun. - Thread starter
- #53
Got a drop ceiling in your house? You could hang one from the beams above the tiles. Otherwise, head to a local park or something for at least a couple hours of test napping
Did you use a military style hammock or a newer backpacking type?
In my case, the back pain was caused by sleeping in a tent, sans pad, on rather hard ground somewhere in Monument Valley. I actually never took the hammock camping (though it was bought for that purpose initially). Instead, I hung it from the rafters in my dorm room
This was a backpacking hammock with no cover nor floor, so you should be ahead of the game there!- Thread starter
- #55
I have a very nice rope hammock that I would like to take. It is very comfortable.
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- #56
Well, here is an unfortunate turn of events. My neighbor informed me he destroyed some of my property. He is such a nice old guy and I wasn't worried about it, but agreed to have a look. As we are walking to the backyard, he starts talking about a ground hog that was living under my garden shed. I thought it had moved on because I hadn't seen it this year. He began to explain how he decided to shoot it. At this point, it suddenly occurred to me where this conversation was going. No. no, no, no! My kayaks are mounted on the back of my garden barn. I wanted to cry. There are two bullet holes on one of my kayaks. He thought he had shot it once, but had taken two shots.
Now, we are desperately trying to figure out how to patch a triple layered polyethylene kayak. It seems polyethylene is extremely difficult to patch and not much adheres to it. The place recommended by the local outfitter does not carry anything.
What was really funny, when we called the outfitter for advice, my wife told him we had two bullet holes in our kayak. Before she could explain, he asked, "Groundhogs?" We laughed so hard. Apparently this is somewhat common.
Now, we are desperately trying to figure out how to patch a triple layered polyethylene kayak. It seems polyethylene is extremely difficult to patch and not much adheres to it. The place recommended by the local outfitter does not carry anything.
What was really funny, when we called the outfitter for advice, my wife told him we had two bullet holes in our kayak. Before she could explain, he asked, "Groundhogs?" We laughed so hard. Apparently this is somewhat common.
Oh no! Hope everything works out. Somehow images from Caddyshack suddenly running through my mind...
OH no! that's hilarious but sad!
I hope it all works out well! I'm jealous of your trip!
I hope it all works out well! I'm jealous of your trip!
Wait a minute! He shot at a groundhog on your property? Is he crazy? 
As for the kayak, depending on how bad the damage is you might be able to repair it. You'll need some polyethylene though, since that's about the only thing that will stick and make the kayak seaworthy again. Weld the polyethylene where the holes are and you should be go to go. I think they even sell repair kits for this very purpose.
I know I'm coming to the conversation over a month late, but I have been there multiple times. Really nice area. It is a darn shame you are going to Kentucky instead. Well maybe not, being in a wilderness area in Michigan during late June is probably not the best idea in the world. The black flies tend to get really nasty around that time of year.
And what is this Painted Rocks? Did you mean the Pictured Rocks near Munising?
As for the kayak, depending on how bad the damage is you might be able to repair it. You'll need some polyethylene though, since that's about the only thing that will stick and make the kayak seaworthy again. Weld the polyethylene where the holes are and you should be go to go. I think they even sell repair kits for this very purpose.
I know I'm coming to the conversation over a month late, but I have been there multiple times. Really nice area. It is a darn shame you are going to Kentucky instead. Well maybe not, being in a wilderness area in Michigan during late June is probably not the best idea in the world. The black flies tend to get really nasty around that time of year.
And what is this Painted Rocks? Did you mean the Pictured Rocks near Munising?
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- #60
Wait a minute! He shot at a groundhog on your property? Is he crazy?
As for the kayak, depending on how bad the damage is you might be able to repair it. You'll need some polyethylene though, since that's about the only thing that will stick and make the kayak seaworthy again. Weld the polyethylene where the holes are and you should be go to go. I think they even sell repair kits for this very purpose.
Apparently, the two outfitters we spoke to don't like the weld idea for some reason. As for the repair glue that is supposed to work, no one carries it and we would have to order it. Therefore, there is no way to order, repair, and allow to cure before our trip. The outfitter in Indy swears that JB Weld will work. He said the worst case scenario is that this winter it will crack open. So, I think we are going to try that, at least to get us through this trip.
I am hoping that maybe this fall to go to Nordhouse this fall.
Yes, pictured Rocks is what I meant. We decided against that and Nordhouse because we really don't have any experience on that type of water. We have always been on smaller lakes and rivers. I hope to go up to Lake Michigan for a day trip to see how bad it is. If it goes well, I would like to either go to the boundry waters or Nordhouse this fall. Maybe Pictured Rocks next year.
