Brand loyalty

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Fat Strat
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Re: Brand loyalty

Post by Fat Strat »

thrill wrote:I have a filson dry pack backpack and a patagonia dry pack fly sling/pack.

You SUP? I'm thinking of getting one to paddle and fish on the Illinois River here in Peoria. Dodge barges and party boats with my fly rod. Do my part to fight against the asian carp invasion. Got any recs for SUP's that don't tip over and aren't incredibly expensive?
What you are looking for is a kayak, imo. Not that SUP’s aren’t awesome in their own way, but fishing and dodging boats on a busy river is 12’ or larger kayak territory. I have a hard time believing that SUPs would be stable enough for a dude in that environment. Could definitely be wrong.

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thrill
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Re: Brand loyalty

Post by thrill »

Fat Strat wrote:
thrill wrote:I have a filson dry pack backpack and a patagonia dry pack fly sling/pack.

You SUP? I'm thinking of getting one to paddle and fish on the Illinois River here in Peoria. Dodge barges and party boats with my fly rod. Do my part to fight against the asian carp invasion. Got any recs for SUP's that don't tip over and aren't incredibly expensive?
What you are looking for is a kayak, imo. Not that SUP’s aren’t awesome in their own way, but fishing and dodging boats on a busy river is 12’ or larger kayak territory. I have a hard time believing that SUPs would be stable enough for a dude in that environment. Could definitely be wrong.
I'm sure it's way safer, but you'd be surprised how many more tailing carp you can see standing vs sitting. There are bigger/broader kayaks where you can stand up. I'll probably get one of those.

The problem is they get so expensive that I should probably just save up for another year and get a full on boat.

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lukethedrifter
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Re: Brand loyalty

Post by lukethedrifter »

Who wants to take me fishing? I think it’s time i started.


Let’s see.
Don’t think Kammok is anything special over other good brands. Customer service is great.

Naglev hiking boots/shoes are an A exc for the soles are slippery so a C-. They did send me replacement outsoles but not sure i want to pay for resoling as they don’t look that much better.
Just got my 12-15 y/o Asolo Fugitives resoled. Dave Page in Seattle. So far so good.

Love my OXO Barista Brain coffee maker. Just picked up the grinder w scale and it’s great too.

Freed Roger
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Re: Brand loyalty

Post by Freed Roger »

I have 10'6" Bic and 11'3" Pau Hana SUP (both solid around 34lbs plastic. ) The Pau Hana has pointed (more of a displacement) nose. The Bic more of a rounded (planing) nose. They seem to ride similar for most uses. The displacement a little faster over a long haul and the planing better at turning.

Surprisingly small difference to me. With brands, SUPs are essentially simple water vessel. There are differences, but hard to determine at the novice rec level. Watch oad specs, how much weight a SUP should carry that may be important for bigger dudes.

I like them a whole lot. Have SUP'd a lot this year - Big Piney River, Current River, Jack's Fork? Meramec, Tennesse River, Hiawassee, Gulf of Mexico, Lake Michigan.
But No Missouri River this year yet. Last week I just took it out on Lake Michigan vacation. First time out I only planned on getting used to it for about 20 mins, but ended up on it for 3 hours with my family wondering where the hell I was.

There are some buying guides out there worth looking at.

Most of the specs that are unique apply to if you want to do hardcore SUPing -like whitewater (that is what kayaks are for), waves, racing, oceans, and multiday trips. There are SUPs made specifically for Yoga and fishing.

I am doing it for all around and day trip fun mostly, so I like my Pau Hana for its ability to strap on a cooler. My bic has very little for attaching things. The Pau Hana has a rod reel attachment option.

The Bic is more durable. It survived my abuse with learning curve (mostly on the transport side). My Pau Hana has had a few cracks already that I epoxy patched.

I like hacking a river route where I can hike or bike shuttle back. So the pau hana has been good for strapping on my pack with shoes, snacks, water, dry clothes.

I have an ongoing email chat with Pau Hana tech in purchasing and accessorizing. That's been helpful. She suggested a smaller more flexible fin (not their brand) that is fairly cheap to navigate the Missouri streams I am partial to.

Buying a good light paddle is important.

Overall, I've enjoyed it a whole lot. I bought the Bic as a "B-day present" Haha for my daughter. I would go out with her on my cheap Menards Kayak and would find myself enjoying my turn on the SUP more.

I've rented YOLO regular and inflatable. The regular board is good, the inflatable version was like being on a blow up toy. Though there are some substantial inflatable SUPs out there(this wasn't one of them). You can find an inflatable that is as good as hard body SUP. Inflatable vs Hard body -depends more on your transportation/storage situation. My hard SUPs are easy transport with the roof rack. Unlike kayaks or canoes, they don't much catch air up there.

Pros- it is cooler temps standing up on a SUP than sitting in the cockpit of a kayak. Pro and con- exercise. Pro -ease of transport. Con -loading it up with stuff not as good.

Pro-i think its safer overall. You can fall off but capsizing it would take some doing. When we had a kayak and SUP on the Missouri River with my daughter, I felt safer about her on the board (though sit-on-top kayaks, which we don't have, are similar for safety. ) I am almost always tethered to the board in case I fall. Getting hung up in strainer with that contraption is the thing to avoid, would have to be able to pull the velcro strap and let it go. (I haven't had to, but still visualize and rehearse these situations)

Major pro is the perspective and view. Looking down in the clear spring fed Ozark streams is a joy. A con would be struggling against the wind on a lake for a long paddle, without aid of current.

Most SUPs harder than canoe kayak to lock up if you have to leave it somewhere. My Pau Hana has a hole built in the tail to run a lock cord thru. I still try to ditch it in the weeds though if I am doing a self shuttle. Definitely hide the paddle too.

Anyways, I am a fan. The NPS ranger at Current River was jazzed that I was SUPing a stretch of it and hiking back as a shuttle (actually biked a stretch of the shuttle) . I've met some cool people that trying to trick me into the MR340 (race on MO river KC to St Charles). Also a whitewater kayak guy - I am going to delve into that.

Ah, for all these edits - this post still is a rambling mess of thoughts. But at least it shows I am passionate about it.
Last edited by Freed Roger on July 17 19, 1:10 pm, edited 7 times in total.

Freed Roger
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Re: Brand loyalty

Post by Freed Roger »

lukethedrifter wrote: Love my OXO Barista Brain coffee maker. Just picked up the grinder w scale and it’s great too.
Is this a French press- camping one? Shamed to admit I am still using instant coffee for camping mostly. Occassionally I wrap coffee grounds in paper filter and do a pour over in a cup with a lid. That should work, but somehow I always f it up and spill grounds.

Freed Roger
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Re: Brand loyalty

Post by Freed Roger »

thrill wrote:
Fat Strat wrote:
thrill wrote:I have a filson dry pack backpack and a patagonia dry pack fly sling/pack.

You SUP? I'm thinking of getting one to paddle and fish on the Illinois River here in Peoria. Dodge barges and party boats with my fly rod. Do my part to fight against the asian carp invasion. Got any recs for SUP's that don't tip over and aren't incredibly expensive?
What you are looking for is a kayak, imo. Not that SUP’s aren’t awesome in their own way, but fishing and dodging boats on a busy river is 12’ or larger kayak territory. I have a hard time believing that SUPs would be stable enough for a dude in that environment. Could definitely be wrong.
I'm sure it's way safer, but you'd be surprised how many more tailing carp you can see standing vs sitting. There are bigger/broader kayaks where you can stand up. I'll probably get one of those.

The problem is they get so expensive that I should probably just save up for another year and get a full on boat.
Yeah, I agree with Fat in regard to fishing. A boat, kayak better. It seems like it would be more about the SUPing than fishing -though I've yet to see anyone do it and haven't explored customizations fishing SUPs have. Some SUPs are more like kayaks

The great thing about paddlers, (and frankly most outdoors hobbies) is they all seem to love it no matter their vessel and what they consider fun on the water. Wherever you are out paddling eventually your going to find the local people that can give you the scoop.

Anyway, it's all an Avenue for more fun. One thing leads to another. Now I want to tie in more fishing with this. Whitewater paddle. an inflatable runabout with a motor looks versatile and fun.. A 10lb packraft-a guy I know runs rivers and hikes back with the raft.

I don't want to invest in a new vehicle and/ or trailer to haul stuff-but just about all those (besides the runabout perhaps) are doable storage-wise with my current setup.

And this is for a someday splurge. Local dude at Timber Longboard Co makes these amazing wood SUPs and kayaks ( floating fun pieces of art). A different local guy is taking one of his rigs down the Missouri River from way up near its start
https://paddlestlouis.com/2019/05/21/fi ... rt-week-1/
Image
I figure what I'd like customized as a SUP might be about $3500 based on some info I saw. The only concern about having something I covet like ths, will I worry about beating the hell out of it? And I better have a lock hole customized in.

Freed Roger
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Re: Brand loyalty

Post by Freed Roger »

Tell me about bike brands (Not road, racing, or MTB-though I know quite a few MTBers and that is a someday for me. )
All-around bike for just tooling around. Some mild transportation use. Road and chat trail, gravel road use. Cushy bounce seat preferable.. No special shorts for me.
Currently am on a one speed pedal brake bike that my wife got from Sears for $35 over 20 years ago. I will always have it. But maybe need another option.

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stlouie_lipp
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Re: Brand loyalty

Post by stlouie_lipp »

lukethedrifter wrote:I’m in a Kammock.


I have no brand loyalty to any mosquito repellent. None of them work. I’m still recovering from the onslaught in the Badlands the night before last.
I'm lucky in that mosquitoes leave me alone for the most part. They must not like my scent.

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thrill
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Re: Brand loyalty

Post by thrill »

Freed Roger wrote:
lukethedrifter wrote: Love my OXO Barista Brain coffee maker. Just picked up the grinder w scale and it’s great too.
Is this a French press- camping one? Shamed to admit I am still using instant coffee for camping mostly. Occassionally I wrap coffee grounds in paper filter and do a pour over in a cup with a lid. That should work, but somehow I always f it up and spill grounds.
His is for home use.

These actually are acceptable to me, and I'm a huge coffee snob: https://voila.coffee/shop/
Great for camping. I just heat my water in my jet boil and dump a couple of those in.

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Re: Brand loyalty

Post by Freed Roger »

I like this lifestraw product for personal water filter. No diarrhea yet! the key to this one is sucking thru that straw is not so much a PITA as other ones. keep in the mind if you have this bottle filled and are leaving the water source, that filter in the bottle reduces the volume of stored water quite a bit.
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I previously had the type where you screw the small filter on top of a bottle (or potenitally straight from a creek etc, but I never tried) but felt like could die of thirst trying to get enough water out that way.

Have a katadyn hiker with pump to another vessel - it's good. I don't backpack enough where I need to pump water and rarely use it. but the 10 times or so I used it, - it efficiently drew water. Sometimes holding or balancing the water receptacle while pumping gets tricky - but always found a way.
Image
Last edited by Freed Roger on July 17 19, 12:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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