Wow, that's an awesome read, Glock-A-Roo! Super story. The guy was smart, resourceful and very lucky! Obviously you make your own luck to a degree but had those European canoers not come by when they did who knows what would have happened.

Interesting too some of his comments. I see he found the space blanket to be useless and that's my take, at least on the cheapest ones. They will keep you dry- that's a huge plus- and they're good reflectors but not at all warm. Since they pack so small I still think they're useful to have but I'm under no illusions that they're gonna keep me warm like my Wiggy's bag would. I missed in the article just how he was carrying the gear he did manage to keep. With a canoe you have special advantages but special dangers, too. Since you're moving on water you can carry heavier stuff easily, but it's easy to get separated from your boat in fast water, especially when you're alone. And any pack you wear can increase your risk of drowning or getting hung up on something if ejected.