Requiem or Renaissance for This Workhorse of the Rivers?

The Tin Tank in the 21st Century

Tamia took her first paddle strokes in her grandfather’s “tin tank.” But until recently, she figured the aluminum canoe would go the way of the passenger pigeon and the dodo. Then a picture in PaddleNews caught her eye, and she started having second thoughts. What’s in the future for the workhorse of the rivers?
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by Tamia Nelson | April 28, 2015

With apologies to Rodney Dangerfield, the aluminum canoe don’t get no respect. I blame Harry Roberts, the cordially cantankerous editor of the long-defunct magazine Wilderness Camping. Harry, too, is long dead, sadly, but when he was alive and paddling, he had few good words for aluminum canoes. “Garbage barge” was a favorite epithet, as was “gravy boat,” and I think he may have coined the tag “tin tank,” as well. Harry was tall and skinny, and he liked his boats long and lean, not buxom and broad-beamed. The fact that he did much of his canoeing on the New York State Barge Canal may have influenced his judgment, I suppose. But Harry’s opinions carried weight, and his disparaging words about aluminum canoes coincided with the first … Read more »

Dressing for Success

Frogman or Amphibian? The Choice is Yours

Paddlers fall into one of two schools: They’re either Frogmen or Amphibians. The former are go-anywhere, do-anything types, while the latter have a more laid-back approach to their sport. This difference is reflected in their respective wardrobes. Frogmen favor rubber from head to toe, and rightly so. Amphibians, on the other hand, observe a less restrictive dress code. Are you an Amphibian?
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by Tamia Nelson | April 14, 2015

The seasoned whitewater boater knows herself to be the butt of one of nature’s best jokes. The time of year when the rivers run fastest and freest is also the time of year when the water is coldest. So we armor ourselves against the chill as best we can, balancing our need for protection against the constraints of the household budget. But what of paddlers who confine their activities to more temperate seasons? Or those of us who use our boats as transport — boaters for whom canoeing and kayaking are not only ends in themselves, but also the means to other ends. Like fishing, say. Or photography. Or following in the wake of early explorers. Or simply drifting lazily wherever a … Read more »

Dressing for Success

What Price Safety? Are Drysuits Worth the Cost?

“What should I wear today?” For paddlers who find the lively music of meltwater-swollen rivers all but irresistible, this isn’t a frivolous question. It is — or can be — a matter of life and death. And for a while now, the gold standard in early season apparel has been the drysuit. It combines outstanding protection with pretty fair comfort. But “What Price Safety”?
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by Tamia Nelson | April 7, 2015

Listen! Unless you live in the northernmost reaches of Canoe Country, chances are good that you can already hear the sound of rushing water, if only in your inward ear. The sun’s return has roused the rivers from their winter sleep. And the music of the moving water is calling to all paddlers.

But that newly liberated water is cold. Icy cold. Cold enough to kill an unprepared swimmer. Do I exaggerate? Not at all. Any paddler who’s dumped in frigid water will tell you that the experience isn’t something she’s eager to repeat. Even with proper clothing, an icy drench is a potent reminder of our mortality. And without proper clothing? The best outcome is a narrow escape. The … Read more »