should i stay or should i go???



after paddleing for several days thru sheltered small lakes i came down from the highlands to find Lac La Croix a wind whipped mess..i went and by the end of the day i surfed into the carry at the end of the lake..
have a look at my overboard vest..i have what after 20+ years of solo canoe tripping what i would want if i went over and lost all my gear execept my PFD and it's gear..lots of way to make a fire.something to make a wind and waterproof shelter and hot food and a way to cook it..no compass,i'm not going anywhere,no big knife,i'm not going to have to dress any game..so on.
next time your out pick a place at random..and not a "good spot" where you could camp but something full of brush and rocks that you would be happy to wash up into and try out your kit.
if you really want to get into it land the canoe and swim out
a bit and back in--did your matches get wet from the drips off your clothes--did the heads "butter" when you tryed to strike them with wet hands?? could you find a place to shelter and make a fire in less that 10 minutes??--all tricky questions..and i would try and get the answers before you pack a PFD with gear..
i left out alot of first aid gear in favor of more food..
this year i made some changes from last years PFD with some good advice i got after i posted my kit.the canoe season is comming to a close in another month or so and when it does i'll break down my kit and post a few photos of the changes i made..