@REI-JenK , Oh how so very right your are.  Been there done that!! So we are back to, if you can no longer really squat............. ... View more

@kakeumi , I use a small frame, not an XS, so you might not find this as helpful.  But I have a Deva and I absolutely love it.  It is the old style however but the features of the Gregory packs beat the Osprey hands down.  I did however buy an Osprey last fall (haven't used it yet as plans got COVID cancelled) just for the weight reduction.  The old Gregory packs were heavy.  The one thing I do not like about the new Gregory packs, which are much lighter than the old ones, and the reason I went with the Osprey is the arched frame.  Its great for keeping the pack off your back, but if you put a full 3L water bladder in it, the bladder sticks out into the middle of the pack as it doesn't arch with the frame.  That makes it hard to get stuff in/out of the bottom of the pack and just makes packing difficult, and probably really messes things up with the bear can. Just my two cents. ... View more

@SolaceEasy , yeah, I did something similar prior to the knee replacement as once I squatted I couldn't get back up without my knee doing something goofy.  My problem now is just range of motion.  Unfortunately replacement knees have a limit of how much bend they will allow and your own body modifies that even further!  I wasn't thrilled when I found out about that but the alternative was to have a knee that was literally falling apart. ... View more

I'd have to say the Girl Scouts.  I really wanted to be a Boy Scout, but had to settle for Girl Scouts.  We camped 4 or 5 times a year and I never missed the opportunity. We were also basically thrown out the door after coming home from school, having cookies and changing our clothes.  We had to come in at 5 to do homework, but before that it was bicycles, roller skates, and skate boards.  In the summer we were dropped at the pool almost every afternoon by our father who came home for lunch  and if we hadn't called Mom (via payphone!) after 3 hours, she came to get us. ... View more

Thanks for the tips.  My further problems is that squatting is no longer my friend.  Before my total knee replacement (I didn't have pain; my knee would just decide to spontaneously dislocate) in January of this year, I could sit on my heels.  No longer is that an option.  So I have lots of kinks to work out in the system. ... View more

I saw this topic and was going to say tenacious tape as well.  I have a backpack covered with it, a jacket with patched with it, Brain has a jacket with a large rip in it he's fixed with it, and a motorcycle seat with tenacious tape patches on it.  It fixed most anything and stays on (though not so good on my life jacket I accidently cut).  It also comes in quite a few different colors as well as either cloth or plastic coating. ... View more

Light requirements for boats vary my size and type of boat and by state.  They vary greatly by state actually.  What I recently purchased for use on my kayak and paddleboard (and for a few other things) is a Luci solar powered inflatable light.  I can tie it to my kayak and board using existing rigging, water's not going to hurt it, and its easily taken off and on.  It should work just as well for an inflatable boat. But I would check coast guard regs for where you live.  In many cases, a headlamp is all you may need. Enjoy your boat! ... View more

For me, the trip begins the when I get up the day we leave or maybe the night before when I was finishing packing.  Even when I was working and had to go to work on Friday and we flew out that evening, I had to fight to concentrate at work as my mind was already in the woods/mountain/river...  And it didn't end until I was back in my own bed Sunday a week later.  We flew back Sunday, dropped our stuff inside the door of my house, took a shower, got a bight to eat, and went to bed.  Now that I'm not working, its still the same way except we fly out in the morning during the week (not Fri-Sun) and come back late sometime during the week 10 or 12 days later. Can't wait until June 1st! ... View more

Instead of buying silicone bags, I've opted to wash and reuse regular Ziplocs.  I've been using the same bags to split my Mountain House into for more than half a dozen years.  After I get back from a trip, people who come over laugh at my kitchen with all the lined up bags drying...getting ready for next trip. ... View more

You also have to deal with the locks and I believe you have to arrange ahead of time for that and communicate with the gate house as you approach. ... View more