Top products from r/canoeing

Saco is a great river to get started on if you are interested in starting canoe camping:

https://www.reddit.com/r/canoecamping/comments/845z33/advice_for_saco_river_nhme/


Saco is SUPER easy. Great introduction to canoe camping.


Also, Lake Umbagog (one of my favs)
https://www.nhstateparks.org/visit/state-parks/umbagog-lake-state-park.aspx


I live on the seacoast side of NH so these are easier access for me. Not sure about Western NH.


In VT:
https://vtstateparks.com/assets/pdf/grr.pdf


Also might suggest grabbing a used copy of this (short money):
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1934028053/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Happy paddling!

I love carrying a small collapsable grappling anchor. Cup holders are always welcome. Also, this style of back rest is a nice thing to have. Anything to make the canoe more comfortable will let you stay out for longer stretches.

Here's a wonderful book that covers all of the Potomac (North Branch) that you'd be interested in. Maryland and Delaware Canoe Trails I've canoed a lot in the Cumberland to Harper's Ferry area and there's not a lot to know, it's a relatively chill stretch of water with lots of places to camp and fish. I'd be happy to answer specific questions... Here's a tip : Bring Beer.

Canoeing and Kayaking Florida is a great resource. The Alafia is really great.

I have a couple of these seats. They work pretty well for short day trips. The main benefit for me is that it relieves some of the lower back strain that I feel sitting in the canoe.

Full set of dry warm clothes, towel, and blanket in a dry bag that is quickly accessible.

Stay close to shore.

Be prepared to change your plans if the weather is not co-operative.

Also - no personal experience with this or recommendation, but this might be interesting for you to consider/look into:

https://www.amazon.com/Knee-High-Surf-Co-Wetsuit/dp/B075SWKC2B/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

Depends on the weather, might be too warm for the kiddo?

I have a marine battery from Home Depot
The Minn Kota battery box is nice too
I stripped the alligator clips off a jumper cable and use that to position the battery in the bow.
I have one of these mounted on the bottom of the back seat to connect the cables from the motor to the jumper cables, which are attached to the gunwales and stay in the boat. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0016HTX9K/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_l7aZCbN1MG1M2
I replaced the nuts with wing nuts for quick set up and tear down.

I have this charger. It's great.
Schumacher XCS15 SpeedCharge 15... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004EIDCFO?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

Check this out. Comfortable and straps to the bench.

Of course but you'll need to find it first - what material is the canoe made from?

Something like this usually works:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0014419V0/ref=mp_s_a_1_6

Overhang is OK. Without a rack you are probably gonna have to use these, along with ratcheting straps.

Impressive.
Have you ever read Survival of the Bark Canoe by John McPhee?

If not, I highly recommend.

Thanks, I have not read that one but i have Bark Canoes and Skin Boats of North America. Which is where this design comes from.

Read about this product in a motorcycle forum. Might be worth a try.

https://www.amazon.com/Anti-Monkey-Butt-Powder-Calamine/dp/B0018GBJKK/ref=sr_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1495074040&sr=8-1&keywords=monkey+butt

They are not that complicated to build, you can do it! Get this book.

https://www.amazon.com/Building-Second-Revised-Expanded-Build/dp/1565234839/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1497526307&sr=8-2&keywords=canoe+book

International version:
http://www.amazon.com/Red-Rock-Disaster-Gordon-Brain/dp/1490363238/ref=la_B00D3DHC6Q_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1371203730&sr=1-1

“This Water Goes North” by Dennis Weidemann. 4 guys decide to paddle from Minnesota to Hudson Bay. https://www.amazon.com/This-Water-North-Dennis-Weidemann/dp/0979685206

IMO, the lines over the hull are just there to keep it from sliding side to side or lifting up and bouncing off the rack if I hit a bump. The bow and stern lines are by far the most important for keeping the boat on the rack.

I tie a bowline around the bow and run the line to the front cross member of the rack. This keeps the boat from sliding off the front of the truck if I were to hit the breaks hard. Then I tie another bowline around the stern and tie a truckers hitch around the rear rack cross member. This tensioning truckers hitch is essentially trying to slide the canoe off the front of the rack, but it can't because of the line tied to the bow and front of the rack.

I agree with others that if the boat is moving on the rack, it is more of a problem with the tie down method than with the rack. Use those cam buckle straps (https://www.amazon.com/SmartStraps-Cambuckle-10ft-GRN-300lb/dp/B000X1YUZC) or learn how to tie a truckers hitch and the boat won't budge.

I'm not personally too familiar with this stretch of the Mississippi, but rapids are usually marked on the maps, and their class (from class I to VI) is listed. Of course in high flow the rapids may be worse than listed, so always scout it out if you're not sure. The current water levels from gauges along the river can be viewed here http://dnr.state.mn.us/river_levels/index.html obviously the higher the flow, the more risk.

Take a look at the Mississippi water trails site I mentioned before though.

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/watertrails/mississippiriver/index.html

Then click on the section you're interested in. Grand Rapids is part of the Vermillion River to Palisades section:

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/watertrails/mississippiriver/three.html

This page will give you a short description of this stretch of river, and near the bottom will tell you about any rapids present. For this section it says there are no major rapids. It doesn't mean there won't be any, just that they should be below class I, and very minor. I'm not sure how familiar you are with rapid classes, but in a canoe you should be able to handle class I pretty easily, and class II with some experience. Class III is about the limit for open canoes, and you run a risk of swamping the canoe.

But be aware rapids may appear where there were none before if the flow of water is high enough, or may move up a class, from class I to class II for example, so be extra cautious when the flow of water is high.

Also, some of the sections mention swift water currents. These can be as dangerous as rapids if you're not ready for them, as they may quickly steer your craft into a hazard that could capsize you. Make notes of where these sections are so you can be better prepared for them if and when you encounter them. Again, in high flow these sections may become more dangerous. Avoiding paddling during spring thaw is the best way to avoid high flow conditions, but heavy rainfall can be unpredictable. Usually the later in the summer it is, the less likely you'll be to encounter high flows.

Another resource I just thought of is A Falcon Guide: Paddling Minnesota.

http://www.amazon.com/Paddling-Minnesota-Regional-Series/dp/1560446900

If you don't want to buy it you might be able to find it in a library, but in Tennessee I'm not sure if they'll have it. It gives you some more info on the river sections, and explains hazards a little more in depth than the MNDNR website. Looking through it, under NORMAL CONDITIONS Class I is the highest class of rapids you should encounter between Itasca and Iowa.