[Sandy Rubin]

Really looking forward to paddling with like-minded kayakers on Earth Day.  A great opportunity to increase awareness of the impact of pipelines and tankers on our beautiful coast, ocean and marine life.  Dogwood will have people on the seawall near Olympic Village talking to people about the proposed Kinder Morgan pipeline expansion and the Woodfibre LNG development.   Hoping for a great turnout!

Sandy

[Linda Schwartz]

Thanks Roxanne,

The April 22nd paddle in False Creek is a wonderful way to celebrate Earth Day!  Although the paddle is not sanctioned by SKABC, it is an excellent opportunity for us to show support for and promote the club’s appreciation of marine conservation issues and encourage concern and respect for the environment.

Linda

[Roxanne Rousseau]

Dear Club Members, Two activities to share with you:

1. On Monday April 18th 2016 join us at Zawa’s Restaurant located at 920 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, BC at 7:00 pm,  for our round table sharing of information on a wide range of topics in hopes of furthering positive kayaking experiences on our coastal waterways.

Topics on the menu this month will include: – sharing information on bike carts for kayaks, – proposed clean up with the BCMTNA in the Discovery Island Group and – celebrations on Earth Day (Friday 22nd April 2016 – see below) in addition to food and drink. If the weather is warm we will gather on the restaurant’s outdoor patio!

Your host for this event is Roxanne Rousseau. Contact her (Conservation Chair) if you have any questions.  You will be engaged!

2. On Friday 22nd April 2016 – Earth Day Paddle for the Coast: 

Our club has been contacted by the hosts of this activity, the Dogwood Initiative and the Sea to Sky group to participate in a paddle in False Creek on Friday April 22nd 2016. If you are interested in participating please contact Shirley at  sjbrunke@shaw.ca or Roxanne at conservation1@skabc.org.

This  paddle is not sanctioned by SKABC, however members have expressed an interest in participating to celebrate and support those with a passion for protecting our coast. We will have on-water leaders and if you do plan to attend please be responsible for your safety while on and off the water.

Launch will be from Vanier Park at 330 – 400 pm (ramp nearest the Coast Guard facility); There is pay parking if arriving by car. Paddle will be to and from False Creek (near Science World) and will take place from 500-700 pm. There will be a social after for networking. We hope to have a good turnout! Please see poster from Dogwood and Sea to Sky in link below (copy and paste to your browser) for more information and to share.

https://www.skabc.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Dogwood-Earth-Day-2016_Final2.pdf

Bye for now,

Roxanne

[Randy Chatterjee]

We have 16 people currently heading to Galiano’s Montague Harbour Marine Park for a one-night stay this weekend, leaving on the first ferry and paddling Saturday and Sunday in the (usually) calm waters between Galiano and Prevost Island.

The group site we have, including a massive shelter with two wood stoves for cooking and warmth in the evening, can accommodate up to 25 people.  The food is all planned and can be expanded easily for a few more people.

We are going to practice rescues, self-rescues, and rolling at the white shell beaches all around the campground.  We are also going to take some easy paddling trips of the 1A to 2B category around the area.

We can still take a few more people, if anyone is interested.  The only cost is the ferry and $10 for the campsite.  Contact Randy or Chantal at rchat@me.com or chantalethier@msn.com.

[Maureen Benzon]

Thanks for the quick response. Unfortunately we had room for only one.

 

[Jill Thompson]

Thanks everyone for all your tips and advice.  Very helpful and much appreciated!

Jill

[Inge Zegel]

And don’t forget, MEC club night is coming up, May 5th. You’ll get 10% off any item in stock!

Don’t forget to RSVP with Karen Hartner by May 2nd if you want to take advantage of this offer.

Inge

[Maureen Benzon]

Sunday May 1 is the practical component, where new instructors choose topics from the Beginners or Strokes and Rescues courses. At this stage we have no idea what they will choose to teach, so if you have an open mind and can commit to 6 hours of free training please contact Maureen at benzon@telus.net

 

[Anja Pakendorf]

For ground sheets.   Make your own out of KITE weight TYVEK.   Sells on Amazon for $5.50 per yard  ( 4ft wide) .   I bought 6 yards w shipping of  $13 to make two ground sheets for my tents.    Google do it yourself  TYVEK ground sheet.     Note…the TYVEK you see on houses is different…stiffer & heavier & noisier.

[Anja Pakendorf]

Jil ! I hear you load and clear…been searching for that ultimate tent for years.

 

Buy a 2 person tent.  1 persons are too small.

 

Consider side entry over front entry…side entry much much easier to get out of…especially if you share the tent.

 

MEC wanderer 2..used to be tull fabric..7lb good quality.  Does not pack down as little as a lightweight tent though

 

MEC Volt 2…see if you can find the older version…all fabric.  The new one has mesh I think.   2 side entry vestibule.  A fairly low tent. Only reason I did not buy was bc it is not ultralight weight   (under 3 lb.) I think it was 3 1/2 or so.

 

For a Mesh tent that is good quality reasonable price roomy 3 season….check out the REI  quarter dome….was my second choice by 2 ounces.   You might even score an older version for a bargain on REI outlet still….weight difference….if you only kayak then you won’t care about a 4 Oz weight reduction…  you might even like the 1/2 dome…slightly bigger.    If you are a new REI member you get 20% off your first purchase.

 

Stay away from too cheap rents….those black poles that you see on a lot of the Coleman tents will snap in high winds.  Often the fly is only partialike as well.  Plus they are heavy.

 

..unfortunately there are not that many options out there.  To keep sand out you need a full fabric tent……I camp on the desert as well and can tell you that even small amounts of mesh will let in sand …a lot of it in a full blown 60mph sandstorm.

4 season tents are usually full fabric…but they are heavy. ..up to 11 lb and expensive.  Also often front entry.  I have one…a Hilleberg nano  at 5Lb but it’s not free standing.  MEC Carries a few others.  One feature of 4 season tents is that the vestibule while great is in the front….which makes getting out of the tent a bit awkward….reason they are like that is that they take up less space than tents with side vestibule and are more aerodynamic

 

Mesh inners  . ..personally not much problem up here in either snow or beach….important to have a full fly.  You can always bury the fly in the sand or so  if really needed.sacrifice breathability though.

 

So in the end I bought the copper spur 2 for we reasons….I climb so every ounce matters.  , roomy and good for 3 seasons….OK for some snow and higher winds.  The floor is frightfully thin.   Make a good ground sheet.

 

 

 

 

[Karin Hartner]

Hi Jill

I saw the Camper 2 at MEC the other day–it looks good! Re the mesh–we really don’t camp on sand that much but if you do–just keep the fly on….

Karin

[Admin]

Hi Sandra,

I agree with all the previous comments and like Karen, prefer a 2-piece wetsuit. It’s more versatile because you can wear it with long or short pants depending on the conditions.

Another reason is that I find it more comfortable, because I have along torso and feel compressed in a farmer Jane suit. But the most important reason for me is that the 2-piece suit is easier and more comfortable to deal with when going to the bathroom out in the bush. Especially on a colder or rainy day stripping out of a farmer Jane suit can be very awkward and cold.

Inge

 

 

[Admin]

Harold beat me too it–I was going to suggest the Wanderer 2 as well. Great affordable kayaking tent.

[Harald Riffel]

Hi Jill:

For two people, one of the best kayaking tents, in my opinion, is the Wanderer 2 from MEC.  Two doors, huge vestibules.  Spacious and versatile.

For one person, the Wanderer 2 is a bit much, so a smaller tent such as the MEC Camper 2 would be better.  Smaller footprint and vestibules (and packed size!), but still comfy for one person.

For camping in cooler weather (like the outer coast), a non-mesh inner tent is warmer.  The all-mesh inner tents allow more air movement and are great for warmer temps, like the Okanagan, or down in the States.  But as you mentioned, wind-blown sand can be an issue.

Other brands with a similar configuration would do as well.  You don’t have to spend a lot of money, but buy from a reputable Outdoor store, and stay away(!!!) from Cdn Tire, Walmart etc.

 

H

[Clark Perry-Bater]

Check out the MEC Camper 2 tent -$199. http://www.mec.ca/shop/?q=camper%202%20tent I have the Camper 4. It’s a good basic 4-person tent, not too much mesh. I think the Camper 2 is pretty light to haul around.

[Author]

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