Gearing Up For Canoe Camping/Photography Season - Camera, Lenses, Camping & Canoe Gear, Physical Fitness

This past winter seemed rather long and somewhat more challenging than most winters in Kentucky. After not having been sick for at least four years, I had to fight off some kind of respiratory ailment that lasted for several weeks this past winter.  Even though I did manage to get out some with my camera or to simply take a hike from time to time, as the winter progressed I longed more and more for the warmer days of canoeing season. I found myself thumbing through previous photos or video clips from past canoe camping seasons. About all that accomplished was to enhance my desire to get out again. 

The canoeing season for me usually begins somewhere around the end of March or early April and ends somewhere around the end of October or maybe early November. That four or five month gap between seasons allows for some free time to prepare for the next season. It is important, especially as for someone older like myself (I'll turn 73 this year) to stay physically fit. Neglecting doing so can actually prevent or at the very least, slow you down when the new canoe season arrives. 

(As always check with your doctor before beginning any kind of strenuous workout routine). I keep it simple and do what works for me. There was a day I would spend a good deal of time at the gym. Now that's a good thing, but it took a lot of time and involved some expense. In more recent days I have streamlined my workout routine by using my garage as a gym. It's a whole lot cheaper and way more convenient. Overall, I workout 3, sometimes 4 days a week. On those days, I do a series of pushups ... usually about 100 or so spread over three or four sets. Pushups are one of the best and easiest forms of strength training routines as it works pretty much your whole body especially your shoulders and upper back which are crucial muscles for canoeing. I also throw in some arm strengthening routines using, of all things, an old car battery for a weight. It weighs about 40 pounds or so and provides enough resistance to strengthen not only my biceps but my upper back, lats, and shoulders. My two car battery routines include bicep curls and one arm bent-over rows. The full workout usually takes about 15 at most 20 minutes. In addition I also throw in some walking usually averaging 2 to 3 miles upwards to 3 to 4 times a week...except during the coldest part of the winter where I tend to back off for a while. Last year I managed over 800 miles of walking with as many as 10 miles for a high, and as few as less than 2. My goal was to make 1000 miles for the year...oh well...I came close. It's a good idea and kind of fun to keep a walking log tracking your daily miles, month to date miles, and overall mileage. It also serves as a form of motivation to keep going and over time it adds up quickly. Start slow and build endurance and strength..and keep it simple and fun and remember, you don't have to wear yourself out, just get started and stay with it! ( I managed to drop a few pounds along the way.)

When it comes to canoe camping or any kind of activity that involves carrying your camping gear with you, less is most always better. For canoeing I use two main waterproof bags ... the smaller one I use for my personal gear like dry clothes, spit kit, small towel ... you know, those things you will need around camp but not so much through the day. The larger one carries my actual camping gear like tent or tarp, sleeping bag, ground cloth, cooking gear, small shovel, small hatchet ... again...those things necessary for an overnight or multi-day trip. I also use a very small bag for wallet, phone, keys, extra camera batteries and such. During the hotter months and even though I avoid using one most of the time, I will actually carry a small cooler to store any kind of perishable food items.

Speaking of food, there is nothing more satisfying than eating a good meal cooked over a campfire. I love bacon and eggs of a morning while observing fog drifting off the water. At day's end, a good steak or even hamburger really completes the day. If not for items such as those, I would never carry a cooler with me. Most of the time I can get by with freeze dried foods or food not needing to stay cool. The idea is to keep it simple but nourishing.

As far as canoe gear goes, this past offseason allowed me to build and/or modify a couple of canoe/kayak paddles. One was a how to make a double paddle instructional video I posted as YouTube video   (https://youtu.be/Va3iK9KRTpw?si=Ugak5WJhH23oJ6pm).  

Fun project and I'm looking forward to trying it out. The other one I simply modified a previous paddle so I can break it down into two pieces.

My canoe gear for most canoe trips stays about the same regardless if it is a day trip or overnighter. I use a 16 foot Old Town Camper canoe. It's a great canoe and has served we well for over 20 years now. It weighs in at 59 pounds...there are newer and lighter weight canoes available now days, but, I'd be lost without my venerable and trusty Old Town. Paddles include one double bladed paddle plus a spare single paddle.  When you need to cover some distance, that double paddle is the way to go. It offers almost continuous momentum and straight tracking. A lifejacket, throwable cushion, seatback, water bailer, fifteen feet or so of rope plus an anchor...and that's about it to round out the basics. I keep it simple too along with some basic fishing gear. As always, it is best to build up slowly until you gain confidence and skill. 

My camera gear needs, I have learned should also remain simple. For landscapes and such I use my Sony A77 plus two lenses: a 75-300 Minolta zoom and a 18-50 Sigma wide angle fitted with a circular polarizer filter. For video I primarily use my phone for it takes very good video. I will also shoot some video with the Sony for certain kinds of footage the phone may not capture quite as well. I also include a small tripod to secure the phone too for the video footage and for long exposures with the other camera gear. Yes, I have more capable camera gear, but there really is no need to lug it around, which I have done in the past. it is amazing how little camera gear you actually need to capture your adventure. All the gear is stored inside a watertight ammo box when not in use.

When loading the canoe, I place most all the gear as far forward as I can. This provides a counter weight forward to offset my weight aft and allows the canoe to track better and to not be as adversely affected by the wind. I also load the gear as low in the canoe as possible avoiding any packs or bags to extend above the gunwales. This lowers the center of gravity helping to retain canoe stability, and reduces its wind catching signature. Camera and fishing gear I keep close to me as well as water bottles and snacks.

Yeah, I'm ready for a new season of canoeing adventure. The photographic possibilities are almost limitless and with any luck at all, I'll be able to capture some unique moments of light. Preparing for those potential moments requires a measure of planning and preparation, but those things are what adds to the mystique and enduring nature of pursuing such things. Keeping it simple, staying within your own capabilities, and being willing to give it a try makes what might seem out of reach...possible.

Defining Success Afield

A fine line exists between experiencing success afield or feeling discouraged by a lack of it. It doesn't matter the endeavor, most of us who challenge ourselves in the outdoors have most likely experienced both. Yet, over the years I have experienced a great deal of insight as a result of having moments of success and moments of discouragement. As a result, I have learned one fundamental axiom; whether through photography, fishing, canoeing, or any outdoor related activity, success can often be defined by one word: Attitude.

I have missed far more photographic moments than I have ever captured, and I have experienced many fishing days where I've been completely skunked. Although I rarely hunt these days, more often than not in years past my hunting skills fell well short of expectations. Target shooting, fishing, canoeing, camping, photography have all contributed to what most people might see as an indication of a failed attempt. But, failure is a harsh word to describe such things for I see those moments as a series of steps toward success. There is a difference in thinking when it comes to accepting that sometimes, results fall short of expectations. Successful completion of expectations takes effort and the results are far from certain, but...that is exactly why I try.

The trick is to adjust expectations for the moment and look at the situation from a positive perspective. I remember once, a good number of years ago now, back in Oklahoma I took a co-worker and younger friend of mine on his first canoe fishing trip. All week we talked about it and I may have elevated his expectations by building up this little lake as having produced several good bass over the years. He was all excited about getting out come that Saturday. Of course he was late arriving for our early morning start...which by the way became a bad habit of his...and we missed the early morning fishing opportunity. All through the morning both of us made cast after cast after cast without a single hit of any kind. By mid-morning he began to grumble and gripe. By noon, the day in his mind was turning into a waste. By early afternoon I was getting rather tired of his griping and decided the fishing trip was over and so we pulled out early. During our fishing time and on the way home, I tried to redirect his negative thinking toward just how much fun it was to be out on the water in the canoe. We had a beautiful day and there were other values just wanting recognition. Yet, in his single minded focus the fishing was lousy so the day became a big waste of time.  To him, the day was a failure.  His incessant griping put a damper on the day, even for me. Even so, I loved just being there and would have enjoyed the day in spite of the lack of fishing success, but his attitude pretty well ruined the day for both of us. I never again took him fishing. 

By this time in my life I had learned how the outcome is the least important element and just being there was what actually mattered the most. A positive outcome is simply the icing and a positive attitude will make any day afield a good experience. My late good friend Ralph became instrumental in teaching me to think this way and he did so by example. I never knew of him to grumble or gripe about the situation regardless of the circumstances, and we experienced just about every kind of situation. His attitude was one of first, just being able to get out and enjoy the day and second, let's see if we can catch a fish or two along the way. 

Sometimes I will head out with my camera hoping to discover some exciting moments of light. Rest assured, many of those times the light was simply not there, yet I was still able to experience a great morning or afternoon because I set the camera aside and listened to what nature was offering. 

Many times I have done similar things during other situations. I'll set the fishing rod down and sit on the creek bank and just allow the motion of the water talk to me, or instead of fishing from my canoe, I'll stow the rod away and spend the day paddling around getting up close to explore some tucked away cove or rocky bluff or watch a high flying eagle or osprey do their acrobatics. They, after all, are certainly far better at fishing than I ever will become.

I love to just sit behind a campfire and listen to its song and absorb its aroma. No two of them are ever the same and each one develops its own personality. Seeking out a sunset while doing such things can be one of the most soothing and calming of moments. I often find myself alone during such times, and for the most part, that is what I prefer. 

Moments such as these are what define success afield. Each of us who pursue such things must develop our own definition of what that should look like. For me, just being there is success enough. Storing those moments within the memory banks of my heart is like having money in the bank.The trick is to not deplete the value of such things by allowing negative attitudes to overdraw the account.  Just enjoy the opportunity in whatever form it is given.

The Old Western Field 22 Rifle...First Steps Toward a Boyhood Dream

 Not sure really where those boyhood dreams of adventure originated. Could be from the stories my grandfather told me about fox and bear dens on the old Oklahoma Cavanal Mountain. Or maybe it was from watching an old adventure movie or reading about the grand adventures of Lewis and Clark. Most likely though it probably was brought to life after reading the true story of a man long ago who made a bet with a friend that he could survive for six months or maybe longer in the woods taking nothing with him...not even his clothing. A fascinating story for sure especially for a young boy who dreamed of such things. Most of those dreams remain locked away inside until one day, on my 12th or 13th birthday during the summer of either 1964 or 1965, my dad bought me a 22 LR rifle. At the time it probably sold for around 25 or 30 dollars. From that moment on, I felt as though those dreams had the potential of becoming, at least to some degree, a reality. 

It was a simple rifle; a single shot Western Field bolt action he most likely purchased from Montgomery Wards. But to me it looked and felt like a high caliber deer rifle. Just holding it in my hands and raising it to my shoulder to sight down the barrel and align the sights on some distant target was an act of adventure. On that first day after opening the long box it came in, a smaller package was also included which contained a couple boxes of Remington Long Rifle bullets. Later that day we headed over to a local creek and within a short time I shot up those two boxes of shells plinking at various objects. I'll never forget that first day shooting my very first real rifle.

Still in my youth I relied on my dad to take me someplace to shoot it and to buy the bullets, so it wasn't all that often I was able to get it out. Never did go hunting with it back then, just plinking around creeks and other locations mostly imagining hunting way off in the wilds of the Rocky Mountains. Not until I grew into adulthood did I manage to head out on my own. Most of the time I just shot at cans and pieces of wood and things. Doing so improved my accuracy and it was indeed a rather accurate rifle considering the simplicity of its design.

That accuracy lead me into target shooting. I knew very little about how to do that, but over time learned the basics. I discovered just how accurate the rifle was for it, when held steady and solid off a bench, could consistently shoot a five shot one inch group at fifty yards. That's good enough to score in the mid-40's on a 50 point fifty yard small bore target. That grouping improved when I figured out if I used subsonic rounds like the CCI target rounds. Using those specialty rounds the potential accuracy improved to about a 3/4 inch five shot group. That could in theory score in the high 40's.

Of course shooting by hand would impart a level of inaccurate tendencies into that potential. Even so, I eventually started shooting in four position small bore rifle competitions; Prone, Sitting, Kneeling, and Standing. I rigged my rifle with a simple target peep site which improved my offhand shooting and felt as though I could compete respectfully and not embarrass myself...too much. 

During my first competition over near Bixby, Oklahoma I arrived not really knowing what to do. I registered and was given my targets and listened to the range officer go over the range rules. When we stepped onto the range I looked across the various stations and my heart simply sank as the other competitors extracted from fancy hard cases high dollar specialized target rifles fixed with calibrated diopter target sights. My little rifle looked almost like a toy up against those. They also wore specialized target shooting clothing which helped them hold their rifles more steady. I stood there in blue jeans and a sweat-shirt using only a large leather glove and a sling made out of an old leather belt to help steady my pulse from being imparted to the hold of the rifle. 

Next to me stood a fellow who appeared to be a seasoned target shooter using a several thousand dollar target rifle. He looked over at me obviously eyeing my little gun and politely smiled. I felt a slight bit of smugness from his demeanor. Undeterred, I sighted in my rifle in the prone position at 50 yards and was pleased with the results...then the shooting started for real. I fired off all twenty rounds, five on each of four targets. When the shooting stopped we gathered our targets and exchanged them with the competitor next to each other for scoring. His target looked well seasoned and even though I felt sure I had shot pretty well, I wasn't sure how the scoring would turn out.

When he was finished, he stood there shaking his head, glanced over at my rifle, then back to the target and commented. "You shot this target with that rifle?"

I said, "That's right...how'd it turn out."

He shook his head, "Man, that's some pretty good shooting for a little sport rifle like that. These are some good scores. Never thought I'd see these kinds of groups with that kind of gun. Some of these other guys using real high dollar target rifles won't score much better, and your scores are most likely better than a good number of them."

I smiled and thanked him. My highest target score if I recall right was around 47 and the four combined target scores fell around 175 out of 200 in the prone position. Kneeling, sitting, then standing my scores varied somewhat but were respectable and that little old Western Field sport rifle held her own against much more capable guns. I continued to entertain myself at those shoots for a season or two.

Through the years I have introduced both my son's to that old rifle even mounting a 4X scope on it. I even took them on an early morning squirrel hunt some years ago. Christopher carried a pellet gun and Tim the 22. That was great fun and this one photo I made of them using a simple disposable camera is one I treasure as much as any of them. Christopher, my youngest seemed have more of an interest in shooting and even got him to doing some 50 yard target shooting practice at one time.

On one of Kris and my first dates, I took her target shooting using that old 22. Even today, she will, on our Thanksgiving shoot, partake of the shooting activities. She's a pretty good shot even now.

On occasion just for myself, I'll breakout that old rifle and set up a target 50 paces away inline with my mound of dirt I had put in when we first moved to Kentucky.

 My skill at shooting has diminished somewhat, but that old rifle will still shoot a good group. Almost every Thanksgiving Day after my boys and family have gorged ourselves on turkey and dressing, we will brakeout the old 22 and do some plinking in the backyard. 

I love that little old rifle and treasure it as a means to retouch with my past. It is a past filled with visions of adventure and each time I squeeze the trigger, I am gratefully returned to those days when a young boy dared to dream of such things. My eyes are dimmer, my once blond hair now turned white, and my hold not so steady anymore, but I still enjoy the feel and excitement of how a simple little sport rifle strengthened the heart and mind of a young boy. I am still today that young boy, just in an older body, who dreamed of grand adventures and that old Western Field 22 rifle came along on many of those dreams.