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A simple tarp should be a priority for any river trip
How is it that one piece of gear can save an entire trip? After spending four extremely variable weather days on Montana’s famed Smith River, the conclusion was the tarp saved the trip. Let me explain. It’s no secret spring weather in Montana can throw anything your way. One day can be 60 degrees and…
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Back that trailer up
It’s a common scenario. You pull up ready for a day on the water and the boat ramp is a circus. Gear, dogs, boats and people everywhere. You’ve done your due diligence and prepared your boat off to the side and are now ready to launch. I’ve had a couple of stressful moments trying to…
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The River Dog
Dogs have their place on a boat, period. Pardon my preference to the canine companions we all love so much but it’s true. When you bring a dog on a boat, or in our case a barge sized raft loaded to the gills with camping equipment, you often spend your day receiving smiles and waves…
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A raft without air?
How a small leak can mean big problems down the line in·flat·a·ble /inˈflādəb(ə)l/ Inflatable. Pretty simple to infer what it means, but by definition it’s the capability to be inflated with air. It also happens to be one of the most important components for any inflatable raft, kayak or paddle board. A couple weeks ago, after…
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Learning from our mistakes
The greatest part about making mistakes is learning something new. Some say if you’re not making mistakes then you’re not getting better. I couldn’t agree more. Recently, on a trip down to southern Utah with the family in tow, I learned that it’s no fun to disassemble an entire 14-foot raft and all of its…
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Learning to row
There’s no better time to start. Growing up as a Midwestern kid from the suburbs, I didn’t know much about the outdoors. Being from Ohio, we didn’t camp a lot. Rivers were a bit foreign to our family of six. Don’t get me wrong, we fished, swam and rode bikes until the streetlights came on…
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The West is full of great rivers to float
Didn't draw a lottery permit? No problem It’s the most wonderful time of the year. No, I’m not referencing the holiday season in December. I’m talking about river permit season. Most have chosen their dates meticulously with groups of people on rivers like the Smith, the Green, the Yampa, the San Juan and the list…
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