AMC River Guide for Massachusetts, Connecticut & Rhode Island

I seriously think that the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) has the guidebook business for New England cornered. The more I go through all the guidebooks and stuff that I have, the more and more I realize they’re all from the AMC. That’s okay though because AMC puts together excellent guidebooks that I have never seen surpassed for the areas that they cover.

This book is no different and like the other AMC guidebooks the AMC River Guide: Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island (River Guide from now on) is an extensive look at canoeing and kayaking opportunities in southern New England.

There are four major river basins that traverse Southern New England and make up the majority of river trips described in the book (there are more rivers by the way, including ones like the Taunton and the Blackstone in Massachusetts and they are given some coverage). The basins include the Housatonic River basin in western Massachusetts and Connecticut; The Connecticut River drains central Massachusetts and Connecticut; the Thames River drains eastern Connecticut; and finally the Merrimack River, which drains northeastern Massachusetts and central New Hampshire.

So to start, the River Guide breaks southern New England and its many rivers and tributaries into an easy to follow and easy to read guide. Each of the four major rivers and their tributaries are broken down into various watersheds and then into trips of a shorter length (a day or so) by geographic areas.

Each trip description begins with a handy table that summarizes everything you need to know about the river including distance of the trip, the degree of difficulty in running the river (this book covers both flatwater and whitewater), the last time an AMC paddler field checked the river, recommended time of year for travel, maps, descriptions of any portages, scenery and campsites you’ll pass along the way.

So what’s covered in the book? 

As I said before, the four main river basins of southern New England form the bulk of the river descriptions. The book not only covers the main river in each basin, but their many tributaries, which can be major rivers in there own right. Then these watersheds are further broken down into major rivers and their tributaries and then into shorter trips to make the descriptions better organized.

Suffice to say if you can find a river to run in Southern New England, it’s probably somewhere in this book, there’s that many listings. If I started to list all the rivers included, you’d be scrolling down for some time.

What else is in the book? 

Beyond the river descriptions, the book includes a preface and a short introduction, followed by a quick overview and guide to river trip descriptions and in general how to use the book.

After the river descriptions, there’s an appendix that includes the Safety Code of the American Whitewater Affiliation, along with information on river protection, paddling safety, information on AMC and more. For a paddler without much experience, this section is a good resource. The basic safety tenets of paddling are provided, along with plenty of other helpful information. It’s always better to be prepared ahead of time and avoid any problems, than trying to deal with these situations as they happen.

Unlike many other AMC guidebooks, the index in the River Guide is very basic and only provides information on the various rivers covered. Other information such as towns or counties isn’t included to reference. That’s not really a problem though, as most people will have the river’s name and be able to work with it through the different geographic locations.

Who Needs a book like this? 

This book is most geared towards those who live in Southern New England and want to explore the paddling opportunities in their backyards. Some others from outside the area might be interested, but generally, the trips and rivers aren’t that stunning that you would travel across the country to try it. That’s not to say that the rivers in southern New England stink, they don’t, but they aren’t as large, as rugged, or as wild as rivers in other states such as Maine.

The book is an indispensable guide for paddlers anywhere in southern New England and I bet you’ll find trips you never thought of nearby.

Originally posted on Epinions

Classic Northeastern Whitewater Guide

Have a kayak but nowhere to go? With the Appalachian Mountain Club’s Classic Northeastern Whitewater Guide, no whitewater enthusiast in the northeastern United States should be without a place to go.

The book covers rivers from New York and throughout New England, offering river runs in almost every area of each state. From the Hudson River Gorge in New York, to the Vermont’s Black River and Maine’s Kennebec, all the high points are hit and so are plenty of other in-between runs that you may or may not already be familiar with.

What do you find in the book? 

Part One of the guide is an introduction to northeastern whitewater providing information on river running in general and providing a broken down look at the river descriptions that follow in the next section. This is helpful for less experienced rafters, or those of us who haven’t generally used a guidebook to plan out our trips. Each characteristic that is reviewed in the river descriptions (difficult, trip distance, average gradient, etc.) are pulled out in Section One and reviewed so that readers have a general understanding of how and why rivers were reviewed the way they were in Section Two.

The second part of Part One talks about paddling safety. This is a major concern with some of these rivers – northeastern whitewater might not be as famous as say the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, but there’s plenty of difficult and highly technical runs out there that can challenge even the best paddlers. Plus accidents can happen anywhere – even in a smoothly flowing stream – so it’s always better to be careful. Information on water temperature, flotation devices, helmets, river scouting and river hazards are included here. I’d suggest that everyone reads this section before planning out trips – because we always need a safety refresher.

Part Two of the guide delves into the river descriptions. It starts out with a quick (much quicker than Part One’s discussion) guide to interpreting the river information, a discussion of wild and scenic rivers, a quick review of paddling on dam-controlled rivers and ways to maintain that access, location maps and keys for each state or area and finally Part Two dives into the river descriptions.

I won’t bore you with a list of all the rivers that are covered, but as an example, here are some of the highlights from the various states:

New York
Esopus Creek
Hudson River/Indian River
Moose River
Sacandaga River

VT/NH/Maine
Ammonoosuc River
Androscoggin River
Black River
Connecticut River
Dead River
Ellis River
Kennebec River
Mad River
Penobscot River
Saco River
Swift River

Massachusetts/CT/RI
Chickley River
Choasset River
Cold River
Deerfield River
Farmington River
Millers River
Housatonic River
Quaboag River
Westfield River

And that’s probably only about a third of the rivers that are covered in the Classic Northeastern Whitewater Guide.

Each river’s introductory description includes:

-The distance of the river run (the river itself is longer, this is the distance of the run that is covered in the description)
-The shuttle length (in miles driving) that is needed to have cars at both the put-in and take-out points along the river
-The average drop in feet per mile of the river over the run
-The maximum drop in feet per mile on the run
-The difficulty of the run – in the whitewater classification system (class I through V with higher numbers being more difficult)
-The scenery around the river
-The last time the river was field checked for the guide
-The type of water to expect due to runoff on the river
-A look at when the river is too low, low, medium, high and too high in regards to the measured height of the river at a selected gauge and where that gauge is
-Where to find out information on the water level of the river

Beyond this quick introduction (which is the 1st thing you will run across on each river’s description) you are given a two to three page written description of the run on the river, starting with a general description of the run. This is followed by information on the put-in point, and then a play-by-play guide to the river until you reach the take-out point. Information on large rapids, river constrictions, hazards, drops and landmarks are given to make your trip down the river easier and to allow you to plan ahead for your trip. Locations where you should scout the river ahead before running (getting out of your boat and walking along shore to check out the river) are called out, as is information on the take-out point and how the river changes its characteristics in different levels of water flow (a river that is easy at low flow might be extremely difficult in very high water).

With each river description and guide, you are also given a simple map of the run that provides basic information on the river – including the location of difficult rapids and the put-in and take-out points. These maps are good enough for planning, but you should get more detailed maps for the actual trips.

After the descriptions, a short glossary is included, as is the author’s biography and some information about the Appalachian Mountain Club. There is no index or guide to further reading in the book.

Experiences 

I can’t say I’ve run every river in this book – but I have used it several times to plan trips and the information is both easy to access and easy to use. The descriptions are generally accurate, but as with anything in nature – rivers are continually changing – so precise descriptions of the river will quickly go out of date. The basic information is what is helpful – you get an idea of what to expect and what you need to do for a multitude of different rivers.

I wouldn’t suggest that this be the only guide to these rivers you get – if you are considering running any of them – the Classic Northeastern Whitewater Guide provides a good starting point. Once you’ve picked where you want to go and have a general idea of what you are going to do, search out more recent and more detailed information on the river – which should be fairly easy – as the descriptions include information to find out the latest details on the river.

I would have liked an index – especially considering this is a guidebook. However the table of contents is quite thorough and if you can think of a river name, or a location, with some flipping back and forth, you should be able to find what you are looking for.

Final Thoughts 

The Classic Northeastern Whitewater Guide is a great general guide to all of the whitewater opportunities in the northeastern United States. You’ll finish the book with a better understanding of the opportunities available and you’ll be able to plan the outlines of your whitewater trips. The book won’t however provide all the details you need for the toughest of the rivers and it is always best to further study your destination (through more up-to-date resources) before you jump in the boat.

Review of NRS Boaters Paddling Glove

If you’ve found that you're getting blisters or irritating your skin while paddling your kayak, then you should pick yourself up a pair of NRS’ Boaters Gloves. These gloves give you protection from blisters while leaving your finger tips free for dexterity.

Since my partner and I started kayaking more often after moving into our new home and getting settled, I was getting tired of the blisters and tender skin I would get after each trip so we started to look into finding some paddling gloves that would offer protection while not limiting movement or being too hot to wear while you were paddling. For about $23, I found these gloves during a visit to REI this spring and decided to try them out.

Glove Basics 

The palms of these gloves are made from synthetic leather to offer protection, while the backs of the gloves are made from a spandex material, which stretches and fits to your hand while allowing your skin to breathe and not overheat.

The fit on these gloves is quite snug to prevent movement or bunching of the glove while you are paddling (which could lead to blisters from that). There’s also a velcro hook-and-loop wrist closure which allows you to tighten and loosen the snugness of the fit of the glove around your wrist.

The glove only comes in one color – so you can’t match it to your kayak unless you’ve got a blue one. The glove is only available in a blue and black combination nowadays.

The glove comes in 5 different sizes – XS through XL and the best way to figure out your size is to try them on. You’ll want to find the glove that fits the snuggest without being too tight to be uncomfortable. Otherwise, if you get a glove that is too big, it’ll move or bunch up and give you blisters on its own.

The gloves are not waterproof, so they will get wet as you paddle, but the material fits you snugly enough that it won’t cause any irritation or blistering and the wetness won't change the glove.

The tips of the gloves are fingerless, leaving you with your finger tips exposed. This helps to keep your hands cooler and lets you use your finger tips as you’re paddling. It makes it easier to use maps, open bottles or do just about anything else and won’t require that you take the gloves off before you try.

Experiences 

Between the constant movement of the kayak paddle and the presence of water to keep your skin damp, it can be pretty easy to irritate your skin or get blisters while paddling your kayak. I had run into it several times, especially on longer trips and I wanted a pair of gloves that would stop the irritation, but wouldn’t be too bulky or too hot to wear while paddling.

That’s when I started wearing these gloves and I was happy with the protection they offered. They are easy and comfortable to wear, as they are very snug, but not too tight and they act like a second skin, not moving or bunching around as you are paddling. The lack of the fingertips on the gloves also let you do things in the boat without having to take them off – like unfolding a map or opening a can of soda.

Plus they aren’t that hot – and that was the major thing I was worried about. I didn’t want to be paddling around without blisters only to have hands that felt like they were melting. The spandex on the back of the glove allows them to breath and having your finger tips exposed lets your hands cool down a little bit. That said, in bright sunshine, they still are a bit warm, since they are a darker color and tend to absorb the sun’s heat. I find myself dipping the back of my hand in the water occasionally on trips with bright sunshine, just to cool the gloves down and make my hands more comfortable.

The gloves don’t become clingy or soggy when they get wet – the synthetic makeup of the glove keeps that from happening. They also dry quickly once your out of the water.

As for the life-cycle of these gloves – after a full season of fairly regular paddling, the palm areas are wearing in, but are nowhere near failing. I would expect several seasons of use out of them based on their wear and tear for the first season.

Final Thoughts 

If you need to find yourself a pair of paddling gloves to prevent blistering and irritation during kayaking trips, then you should check out NRS’ Boaters Gloves. Made from synthetic leather and spandex, they provide protection to your palms while keeping the rest of your hands relatively cool, while fitting snuggly enough to prevent any irritation or blistering on their own.

Originally published on Epinions

Review of Riverside Car Top Universal Kayak Carrier

If you want an inexpensive and easy way to transport a kayak, check out Riverside’s Universal Car Top Carrier for Kayaks. It’s simple to set up and use, fairly inexpensive to purchase, and works as well as any other carrier if you’ve got a single kayak.

When I purchased my first kayak, I needed a carrier to both get the kayak home from the store and to take it out to the rivers to go paddling. I settled on the Riverside Universal Car Top Carrier mostly because it included everything I needed, was simple and was inexpensive (since I was already spending plenty of money on the boat). Within about five minutes of opening the bag and reviewing the instructions, I had the foam blocks on the car, the kayak up on the blocks and the straps tightened.

Carrier Basics 

The Universal Car Top Carrier is quite simple, with two foam blocks with tops shaped to hug a kayak’s bottom. These blocks can either fit over an existing roof rack on a vehicle or for those without racks, rest directly on the roof of the vehicle. Four tie-down straps are provided, which give you the ability to tie down the kayak by tightening these straps around the kayak. However, it’s important to note that while the instructions speak to using all four straps to tie down the kayak without placing one on either end of the boat, I would personally suggest using two of straps to hold the boat down and the two remaining to tie down each end of the boat (run the strap from the loop of rope on either end of the kayak to the bumper or to a hook below the bumper). I’ve found that the 2 straps are more than enough to hold the boat down and the straps at either end give the boat greater stability when it’s resting on top of your car and you are driving, especially at higher speeds.

The straps can either be tightened around the kayak and the existing roof rack, or if you don’t have a roof rack, you can run the strap around the kayak and through the car – opening the front and back doors and running the strap around so the kayak is tight against the car. Then just shut the doors and you’ll be good to go.

Set up is very simple and should only take a few minutes of centering the blocks, lifting the kayak to the roof and then tightening the straps down. When you get to your destination, the straps are quickly and easily released, the boat lifted down and then the foam blocks and straps stored away in your car.

I personally wouldn’t leave the blocks or the straps on the top of your car, they aren’t attached to anything and the foam blocks could easily blow away in the wind and the straps would make an easy target for anyone looking to add to their collection. Same with driving – if you don’t have a boat tied down, there’s no way that the blocks will stay on the car, even if you have them fitted down on top of an existing car rack.

Life Expectancy 

The high density foam that the blocks are made out of should last for quite a while. I have had my rack for two years and I haven’t noticed any compression or disintegration of the foam. The straps are made of a synthetic fabric and there hasn’t been any wear on them either with fairly regular use.

I would expect several years of use out of this set, which is more than enough for you to graduate to a more structured kayak rack, such as those offered from Thule or Yakima.

Experiences 

This was my first kayak carrier and I used it on the RAV4 that I have, which is fitted with a simple Thule rack (the starter rack that attaches to the factory rack). I fitted the foam blocks on that rack and used the straps to tie the kayak down – two over the kayak and after I saw how that held the boat down, I used the remaining two on each end of the boat. My only real complaint with the tie-down system is that I wish that they had offered a rope tie-down option for the front and back, since I don’t feel comfortable not having either end of the boat tied down and when you use the strap, especially in the front, it can be a bit distracting when you are driving. Plus is seems like overkill when all you need to do is stabilize the kayak in the front and back and not really winch it down.

I’ve also used the carrier on the Honda Civic that we have. That car doesn’t have any racks, so I had to do the straps through the car move and there wasn’t any problem with it. The kayak was held comfortably against the roof on the blocks and once the straps were tightened, I didn’t have any problem driving with it.

I did eventually graduate to dedicated Thule kayak carrier for the RAV4, but I still use this carrier on the Honda and on other cars when we are setting up return vehicle for one-way paddling trips. It continues to work as it should and it easily is transferred from car to car. For the roughly $50 I paid for it, I consider it money well spent.

Final Thoughts 

If you are looking for your first kayak carrier or need a secondary carrier for when you set up car shuttles, you should check out Riverside’s Universal Car Top Carrier for Kayaks. It’s fairly inexpensive, easy to use, long-lasting and easily transfers from vehicle to vehicle.

It might not be the last kayak carrier you get, but it definitely makes a good first carrier.

Originally published on Epinions

Thule Load Straps

Need a few extra straps to tie down your canoe or kayak on your vehicle's roof rack?

Then you might want to check out the Thule Load Straps. These two 15 foot straps make it easy to securely attach your boat to your rack. Not only that, they are easy to tighten and to release and they have a bumper over the buckles to protect your car and your boat from scratches.

Read my full review of the Thule Load Straps on Epinions

The Stacker Kayak Rack by Thule

The Stacker from Thule is a good general purpose kayak rack for people who have one or two kayaks. It’s very easy to install on your existing roof rack, is fairly easy to use and overall is a good choice for a kayak rack.

That said, you do have to be a bit more comfortable with loading the boats on the roof of your vehicle and strapping them in than you do with some other kayak racks (the ones where you sort of fit the kayak in and then just tighten it down). If you can get over that, you’ll find, like we did, that The Stacker is a good rack.

Read my full review of The Stacker from Thule on Epinions

Charles River, Massachusetts

One of the best resources for outdoor enthusiasts west of Boston is the Army Corp of Engineers’ Charles River Natural Valley Storage Area. This area of protected land surrounds the Charles River, almost from its beginning downstream through a number of different Towns and ends just before it reaches the more urban end of the river in the greater Boston area.

This land protects the river and provides natural areas for the river to flood into during periods of high water, thus protecting other properties that might have been flooded if the valley area had also been developed. The Natural Valley Storage Area doesn’t only provide flood protection though, it provides an almost continuous natural path for the Charles River as it makes its way through the area west of Boston.

Read my full review of the Charles River in Massachusetts on Epinions

Aloksak Waterproof & Airtight Bags

While the Aloksak waterproof bags do come in handy for protecting some small items from getting wet, they are not as sturdy or rugged as some other options. That’s something to keep in mind if you’re planning on taking them for a long paddling trip or otherwise exposing them to some rough use. However if you are planning on using them to store important items inside something else that may get wet and would take most of the wear and tear, most likely these bags will work for you.

Read the entire review here

Seattle Sports Glacier Dry Bags

If you are looking for a way to keep stuff dry on a paddling trip, you should invest in a dry bag. These bags are designed to keep what’s inside dry no matter how wet the outside of the bag gets.

I’ve been using the Seattle Sports Glacier Dry Bags for a few seasons now to keep my gear dry on longer paddling trips. I pack the dry bags and then load them into my backpack that I secure in the canoe. That way I know my important gear will stay dry, even if the boat itself tips over.

Read the full review here

Pelican 1020 Micro Case

When you are paddling, whether it’s in a kayak, a canoe or in a raft, you want to be able to protect certain things from the water should you accidentally end up in that water. That’s where the Pelican 1020 Case comes in handy.

The case is made from a very strong plastic that is advertised as waterproof and crushproof. It provides enough space for a cell phone or a PDA along with a wallet, keys and a few other items.

Read the full review here

William C. Whitney Willderness Area - Adirondack Park, NY

The William C. Whitney Wilderness Area is one of the newest wilderness areas in the Adirondacks, having been opened to the public in 1998 following the purchase of the land the year before by the State of New York. The area contains three major lakes along with numerous smaller ponds and streams. Not only that there are miles of trails and through connections with other adjacent State lands, longer and more extensive trips throughout the region are possible.

Read my full review of the William Whitney Wilderness Area in the Adirondack Park of New York

Wilderness Systems Pamlico 100 Kayak

Looking for a general purpose kayak that can handle flat water, slow rivers and a bit of easy whitewater and that’s a step above a simple entry-level boat? Consider taking a look at Wilderness Systems’ Pamlico 100. This kayak offers plenty of features in a light, compact and comfortable boat that should serve its user well.

To start, this boat is what I would consider an introductory to early intermediate kind of kayak. It isn’t designed for any one condition (flat water, whitewater, open ocean, etc.), but it is a kayak that can be used in any number of different conditions and will provide acceptable levels of use in those conditions. Think of it as an all-around use kind of kayak – one that you can just as easily use to paddle around a small lake as you can take it down a river with a few smaller rapids.

Read my full review of the Wilderness Systems Pamlico 100 Kayak on Epinions

Old Town Canoe's Otter Kayak

If you’re new to kayaking and you want to get your feet wet with a simple boat that doesn’t cost a lot of money, but will give you a chance to explore a lot of what kayaking has to offer, you should take a look at Old Town Canoe’s Otter Kayak. The boat offers plenty of features in a small and easily manageable size that should give anyone a good first impression of kayaking.

Measuring in at 9 ½ feet long and about 28 ½ inches (a little over 2 feet) wide, the Otter is one of the smaller recreational kayaks out there. It’s about a foot thick and the cockpit opening is 19 inches by 38 inches. When all is said and done, this really means that the Otter, even though it is small, can easily accommodate most paddlers. The cockpit is slightly oversized when compared to other similar boats and the length and width of the boat is more than enough for all but the tallest of paddlers.

Read the rest of the review at Epinions.com

Old Town Canoe - Otter Kayak

If you’re new to kayaking and you want to get your feet wet with a simple boat that doesn’t cost a lot of money, but will give you a chance to explore a lot of what kayaking has to offer, you should take a look at Old Town Canoe’s Otter Kayak. The boat offers plenty of features in a small and easily manageable size that should give anyone a good first impression of kayaking.

Boat Basics

Measuring in at 9 ½ feet long and about 28 ½ inches (a little over 2 feet) wide, the Otter is one of the smaller recreational kayaks out there. It’s about a foot thick and the cockpit opening is 19 inches by 38 inches. When all is said and done, this really means that the Otter, even though it is small, can easily accommodate most paddlers. The cockpit is slightly oversized when compared to other similar boats and the length and width of the boat is more than enough for all but the tallest of paddlers.

Read the entire review at Epinions.com