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Make Your Own Kayak Cockpit Cover
Having just recently finished a Skin-On-Frame Greenland kayak, I’ve been paddling it as much as possible, and it generally sits on top of my car when not in use. The other day a thunderstorm blew through and filled my boat up with water, so I decided that I better go get a cockpit cover. At the local outfitter, I discovered that they wanted $40 for a cover that probably wouldn’t fit my boat very well anyway, so I left and drove to a fabric store determined to make my own. I spent less than $5.00 there, and now after a couple hours of sewing and design I have a waterproof…
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Bryan’s Homebuilt Boats from 2004 and back
Note: The plans included on this page are for historical reference only. Carlson’s Hulls, a windows only program, is required to view them. These are the boats that I’ve built or designed for myself. I’ve helped on other boats, but I am not including them. Please, feel free to contact me to learn more about these. If you have built or build one of these designs, please, let me know, or send me a picture. I would love to hear from you. Freedom 17 The Freedom 17 canoe is the first boat that I built. I lived in an apartment at the time and built this in my living room.…
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Layout Panels from Hulls
Note: I do NOT support any of the Hulls files on this website. If you’re interested in the plans that I provide, click to see my Canoe and Kayak plans. You don’t need to know how to use HULLS to use those plans. Hulls is a boat design program that is easy to learn and hard to master, but it’s grand fun to be able to design your own canoe or kayak, and then be able to build one. You can see some designs here. The main question I get from people downloading my designs is, how do you get the panels layout numbers. Here’s how: The files I posted…
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Wigeon: A Sailing Canoe
We need more recreational sailing canoes around. They seem to have gotten lost by the wayside when racing took over the scene back in the 19th century. And from what I can see, the current racing classes are too restrictive in their class rules to be of general interest for someone who wants a recreational canoe dedicated to sailing. If we could just open the door a bit...
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How to Clean a Drysuit
It's that time of the year to break out your drysuit. What's that smell. Well, here's how to clean a drysuit.
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Tarp Shelter Set-up
A lightweight weather-proof tarp set-up to use when you want to stay dry. This article was hidden for the last three or four years on a climbing website, so it's about time it migrates to Nessmuking. This is one of the best ways to set-up a tarp for camping under.
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Acorn Whistle
In this fun article learn how to make a whistle from an acorn. Might be handy someday.
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The Lightweight Secret
Most paddlers would sit up and listen when told they could actually travel the same distance without working any harder in less time. They'd lean in much closer when told that there was a secret that could allow them to travel an additional 24 miles in a ten day trip without any additional hours on the water, and most would be surprised to learn the secret is actually simple. Learn the secret in this article.
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Cell Phones in the Wilderness
For several years a debate has raged between two camps of people: Those who feel cell phones should be left home, and those who feel they should come on wilderness trips. People in the anti-phone camp cite everything from distraction from the trip, to a simple annoyance, or even a lack of respect and common courtesy. They go to extremes to make any philosophical point that they can to make sure cell phones stay out of the woods. The pro-phone camp cite many reasons to carry them, but it seems the biggest justification they use for cell phones in the woods is that they add safety to the trip. They…
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Forward Paddling in a Kayak
Forward paddling seems easy, but there is room for improvement. Forward paddling is probably the most under-appreciated and under-practiced kayaking move. However, as you might imagine, this is the most important move that you can learn. Depending on where you’re going to be kayaking, and how long of a kayak tour you intend to go on, good forward paddling may end up saving you a lot of time, effort, and muscle strain. The most important thing to remember about your forward paddling, however is that you should only work on improving it if you feel that you can’t do everything that you want to be able to do while you’re…
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BWCA: Insider Tips
Three tips that will make your next couple of trips to the BWCAW easier on the wallet and then mind.
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Lost and Found: What to do when you find something in the Woods
When you find an expensive item in the wilderness, you may be tempted to claim salvage rights, but to learn what you really should do, read this article.
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How to Use a Padded Food Pack
Padded Food Packs are being used more often in canoe trips. They provide a couple advantages over traditional unpadded packs and olive barrels. They provide protection like an olive barrel, but conform easier to a canoe like a traditional Duluth Pack. They also take up less space than an olive barrel, which allows you to squeeze in that extra pack. There is no right way or wrong way to use a padded food pack, but there things you can do to take advantage of the padding, the extra insulation that the padding gives, and the shape to help you carry fresh food into the wilderness comfortably. Making it Waterproof There…
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How to Solo a Tandem Canoe
One of those perfect morning dawns, the dew is fresh, there is a nip in the air and the mist rising off of the mirrored surface of the water calls you out. After cooking oatmeal over a small fire you wait for your paddling partner to wake up so you can go paddling. Unfortunately, she is a constant over sleeper and a bear to force out of her slumber. The only way onto the water is if you get into your 18-foot tripping canoe and paddle it solo. Solo canoe paddling is a rewarding experience that opens you to more time on the water when you can’t get a paddling…
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Icom M72 VHF Radio Cheatsheet
The Icom M72 VHF radio or M73 is a great compact handheld with a good form factor. It transmits at slightly greater power than most handhelds, is extremely loud, offers IPX8 submersible protection, and uses a shorter antenna that’s as efficient as a standard sized antenna. It also includes every feature a kayaker or canoeist might want. For years, I’ve been using an Icom M72 VHF radio and love it, so I’ve created a handy cheat-sheet to carry around with me that shows button commands to get into the more complex features. The cheat-sheet also includes a handy cheat-sheet covering the basics of good radio talk and a step by…
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