THIS--is a photo of a total screw-up..



the water should be outside the canoe,not inside..
the point of this post was to be, Know Your Survival Gear"
i don't have a shot of any survival gear failures..come to think
of it if the gear failed i would not be here to tell you about
it..so this will serve as the example...
The Story..for 20 years i canoe tripped in a stable,slow,
heavy canoe..last year i bought myself a lightweight,fast
replacement..i took delivery of it the nite before i went
to Canada with some buddys for a deep wilderness trip..
the boat was great..fast on the water easy on the portage.
it went across and thru bad water like a champ..
this spring i took it out solo without any time to try
it out single handed before i left..it once again was a
wonder on the lake and trail----untill..a week into the
trip i landed on a mossy bank to get some photos..
getting back in i did the same as i did with my old
canoe and stepped in between the gunwhale and the pack.
wrong move--without someone to hold the boat it rolled
over and swamped...no major damage except to my pride..
that was a first in 20 plus years...OK--fast ment a round
bottom and not a flat one as on my old canoe..i knew what
sort of shape the canoe had but never got around to trying
out all the ways i might have to get into it..
and you see the result..
the message--try out all you stuff even if you have to
waste it and buy more..taste the ration..strike the flint.
try out the flashlight..get into the trash bag..if you
don't how to use it or how it works your in the drink--
the photo was taken after i used my hat to bail out enought
water so i could pull the canoe onto the bank and get the
packs out and dump the rest of the water..