Welcome to In the Same Boat, Paddling.net's weekly column! Got a question—about trip-planning, say, or camp cooking, or reading the water of a wild river? Whatever you need to know, you've come to the right place. Tamia Nelson and Farwell Forrest have written more than 400 articles for us, and chances are pretty good that you'll find an answer to your question by clicking on one of the links below.

But what if you can't find what you're looking for—or if you've found a better way? What then? Easy. Don't keep it to yourself. Send Tamia and Farwell a heads-up. Ask them a question. Or set them straight. Either way, tell them what's on your mind. After all, whether you're a canoeist or a kayaker, a novice or an expert, when it comes right down to it, we're all in the same boat. And that's exactly where you are now: In the Same Boat. Read on!

In a hurry? Then jump right in. These links will take you straight to the topic that interests you:

 

• Maps and Dreams—Trip-Planning
• Impedimenta—Boats and Gear
• Different Strokes—Technique and Safety
• Getting Around—The Art of Backcountry Travel
• Alimentary, My Dear—Food and Cooking

• It's Only Natural! Voyages of Discovery
• Air, Earth, and Water—Natural History
• Voices From the Wild—The Silent Majority

• Waterway Rambling—Back to the Future
• Paddling through Time—Paddlesport History

• Beyond the Beauty Strip—Ethics and Environment
• Wheel of the Year—Spirit and Season
• Our Readers Write—Letters and Commentary
• Spotlight—Books and Videos for Paddlers

• Trip of a Lifetime—A Paddlesport Novel

 

Or would you rather browse? No problem! Start here…

 

Maps and Dreams—Trip-Planning Secrets

• Where Am I to Go? Finding a Place to Paddle
• Breaking Away: Secrets of an Escape Artist
• Breaking Away: In Praise of Day Trips

• Weekend Adventures: The Art of the Quick Get-Away
• Weekend Adventures: Thinking Small
• Weekend Adventures: On the Water

• Planning a Big Trip: Anticipation
• Planning a Big Trip: Maps and Dreams
• Planning a Big Trip: Troubleshooting a River
• Planning a Big Trip: Staying Found
• Planning a Big Trip: Back to the Dining-Room Table
• Planning a Big Trip: Friends and Lovers

 

Impedimenta—Boats and Gear

The Boats That Float Us

• Nice Boat! Whaddaya Call It?
• Canoe or Kayak? A Guide for First-Time Buyers
• Starting Out in Canoeing: A Canoe for All Reasons
• Hell of a Vision: The Kayak Comes Back
• The Flip Side of Kayaks

• The Case for (and Against) the Solo Boat
• In Praise of the Pack Canoe
• Double Talk: Choosing a Boat Built for Two

• SOTto Voce? Sit-on-Tops Are Here to Stay
• Tips for First-Time SOT Buyers

• Saying Goodbye: When to Retire Your Boat

Outfitting Your Boat

• The Joy of Lists: Looking for the Ultimate List
• The Boat Who Couldn't Sink: Flotation Made Easy
• Make Mine Dry! Keeping the Water Out of Your Gear
• A Paddle to Call Your Own
• Spare Me! Lessons From Up the Creek
• At the End of Your Tether? The Pros and Cons of Tying It On
• Steady as She Goes! Rudders—Who Needs 'em?

Overland: Storing, Car-Topping, and Portaging

• A Boat-Hauling Omnibus
• Home Port—Making a Berth for Your Boat
• Taking Your Boat on the Road
• SUVtopping: Of Bucket Loaders and High Rollers
• There and Back Again: Doing the Car-Shuttle Rag—And More
• There be Pirates: Foiling 21st-Century Thieves

• Finding Your Bliss on the Portage Trail
• No Yoke! The Secret of Almost Painless Portaging
• Rediscovering the Wheel—The Lure of Portage Carts (and More)
• It (Sometimes) Takes Two: Carrying a Canoe
• It (Sometimes) Takes Two: Portaging Kayaks and SOTs

Up Close and Personal—Clothes Make the Paddler

• Finding the Perfect PFD
• The Eyes Have It! Protective Eyewear for Paddlers
• Hey, Ho, the Wind and the Rain: Tips on Winning the Shell Game
• Getting Fleeced: Dressing for 21st Century Amphibious Ops
• Hands On! Getting a Grip on Gloves and Mittens
• The Bottom Line: Putting Your Best Foot Forward
• Boots: The Dynamic Duo
• Boots: In Wellington's Footsteps

Camp, Sweet Camp

• Water Treatment Options: Is It Safe? Is It Legal?
• Water Treatment Options: The State of the Mart
• A Second Look: Water Treatment Brought Up to Date

• Sweet Repose: It's in the Bag
• Smoothing It: Hanging Out in a Hammock
• Between a Rock and a Hard Place? Just the Place for a Pad!
• Simple and Good: In Praise of the Canoe Shelter

Image-ine That! The Eyes Have It

• The Far-Seeing Eye: Why Binoculars?
• The Far-Seeing Eye: Binoculars for Paddlers
• Small is Beautiful: Getting Close to Nature with a Hand Lens

• Digital Girl: Reflections on the Power of the Image

The Practical Paddler

• A First-Aid Kit for Your Boat and Gear
• Duct Tape: Help When Everything Comes Unstuck
• A Stitch in Time
• Full Circle—Spring Gleaning Made Simple
• A Water Bag That Costs You Nothing
• Making a New-Fashioned Tumpline
• Do-It-Yourself Deadmen
• Pattern-Making with a Jogglestick

The Things We Carry—The Contents of Our Personal Packs

• Secrets of My Ditty Bag
• The Eleventh Essential: The Versatile Ammo Can
• The 'umble Tarp: Shelter for the Masses
• Ponchos Cover Our Keisters
• The Bandanna—Jack of All Trades
• Keep It Under Your Hat! The Pinnacle of Paddling Fashion
• Putting North in Our Pockets: Our Compasses
• The Case for Maps
• Sound Off and Light Up! Signals That Work for Us
• The Ties That Bind—The Many Uses of Lanyards
• The Indispensable Bailer and Sponge
• Putting a Bit of Stick About: Why We Carry Walking Sticks

• Knives in Our Lives
• Looking Sharp: Life on the Edge
• Beyond Looking Sharp: Caring for Your Knife
• When Small Is Not Beautiful: Big Blades for Big Jobs
• Showing Your Teeth: Saws for Paddlers

• Holding Our Water: Botas, Bottles, Bladders, and More
• The Power of Nothing: The Magic of the Vacuum Bottle
• Frame of Reference: The Freighter Packframe
• Basket Case: Why We Like Pack Baskets
• The Pack That Made Duluth a Household Word
• The Rucksack That Came in from the Cold War
• The New Look of "War Surplus"
• Secrets of My Getaway Pack
• Pockets: You Can Never Have Too Many!

• The Other Ten Essentials, Part 1
• The Other Ten Essentials, Part 2

• GPS and Me: An Unlikely Romance
• Buddy, Can You Spare the Time?
• E-Mail on the Trail? Well, Almost

 

Different Strokes—Technique and Safety

Starting Out

• Ten Things No Paddler Should Be Without
• Starting Out: Questions that New Paddlers Ask
• Moving On: When You're No Longer a Beginner
• Question Time: Messing About in Boats

• Staying Alive! Dressing to Dis Mr. Death
• Staying Alive! Rules to Live By

• Jerk to Inflate: The Dumbing-Down of Paddlesport
• A Sporting Chance? Risk, Sport and Personal Responsibility
• Self-Reliance: Heeding the Still, Small Voice
• KISS and Tell: A Personal Approach to Paddling
• Fall of the Leaf: The Art of Peaceful Coexistence

Basic Training

• Starting Out in Canoeing: Getting Your Feet Wet
• Different Strokes: Going Straight
• Moving On: A River Runs Through It
• Moving On: Going Against the Flow
• Different Strokes: Double Your Pleasure?

• Starting Out in Kayaking: Déjà Vu All Over Again
• The Ins and Outs of Kayaking
• Strait is the Gate: Taking the Wiggle Test

Safety First—Staying Out of Trouble

• Hubris, Nemesis, and the Kindness of Strangers
• What I Learned from Deliverance
• Early and Provident Fear: The Case for Scouting
• The Scouting Imperative: Keeping Things in Perspective
• Whispering Death: Strainers, Sweepers, and You
• Clapotis: The Sound of Two Waves Clapping

• The Prefloat Check: Making It from Bold to Old
• Show Your Colors! Are You Bright or Outta Sight?

• The Pleasures and Pitfalls of Early-Season Boating
• Winning the Cold War: How NOT to Die of Hypothermia
• In the Heat of the Day: Keeping Cool on the Water
• Why Chill Out? The Challenge of Late-Season Paddling

• Bottoms Up? Keeping Your Head Above Water
• Swim Time! Coping with Capsizes
• No Boat! What Happens Next?

• Gearing Up for Open-Water Crossings
• Caught Out! Weathering Roaring Wind and Rain
• Lightning is Frightening
• Singing in the Rain!

  

• The Lone Canoeist: The Importance of Being Prepared
• Self-Rescue for Solo Canoeists

• Worst-Case Scenario: Plan to Survive!
• Worst-Case Scenario: Lessons Learned

The Art and Science of Staying Found

• Navigating Without Batteries: First Things
• Navigating Without Batteries: The Threefold Path

• Navigating Without Batteries: A Tale of Two Norths
• Navigating Without Batteries: Compasses for Paddlers
• Navigating Without Batteries: Why Compasses Go Wrong

• On the Map: First Steps

Ropework for Paddlers

• Knots to Know! Basic Ropecraft for Paddlers
• Knots to Know! Second String
• Learning the Ropes: Putting Splice in Your Life
• Learning the Ropes: Whip 'em into Line!

Secrets of a Happy Camper

• Smoothing It: Secrets of a Happy Camper
• A Place for Everything
• Gimme Shelter! Weathering the Storm
• Tarps: Know How You Fold 'em
• Life's a Beach: Camping on the Edge
• Breaking Away: The Art of Breaking Camp

• Coping with Mosquitoes, Punkies, and Blackflies
• One Match Is All You Need

Looking Beneath the Surface—Reading Water

• Anatomy of a River: Headwaters
• Anatomy of a River: Whitewater!
• Anatomy of a River: BIG Water
• Anatomy of a River: After the Flood

• Eddies, Up Close and Personal
• More About Eddies: The Big Picture
• Ferry Useful! Letting the River Do the Work

• Anatomy of a Lake: Unmasking Mr. Hyde

The Complete Boatpacker

• Too Much Gear? What to Do When Push Turns to Shove
• Using Your Head: Toting Your Load with a Tumpline

One Foot in the Grave? Paddling With the Over-the-Hill Gang

• Yes, There Is a Paddling Life After 50
• Lighten Up! Hints on Lightsizing Your Gear
• A Pain in the…Shoulder!
• Beating the Bonk!
• Oh! My Aching Back!
• A Joint Like This: Tales From the Gimpy Knee Club
• Finding Your Comfort Zone
• Winning the Battle of the Bulge
• The SOT-Need Factor

Health and Comfort Items

• Ten "Nonsentials": Bad Advice from Backpacker

• Mass Transit: The Michelin Man Slims Down

• Beyond First Aid: Backcountry Medical Emergencies
• Where's the Rub? Coping With Chafe and Blisters
• There's a Sucker Born Every Minute: Living with Ticks
• The Whole Tooth: Backcountry Dental Care

• When You Gotta Go: Straight Poop on Backcountry Sanitation

• Cleaning Up in the Backcountry—From the Skin Out
• Cleaning Up in the Backcountry—After the Meal is Over
• Cleaning Up in the Backcountry—Laundry Day!

• Girl Talk: Tips for Woodswomen

 

Getting Around—The Arts of Backcountry Travel

Off the Beaten Track—Travelers' Tools

• The Rope Trick: Tracking Your Way Up a River
• The Lure of Lining
• When It's Time to Punt: The Art of Poling

• Get Out and Get Over! Doing the Beaver Dam Shuffle
• Glorious Mud! Keeping Dry in a Wet World
• Off the Beaten Track: Bushwhacking Basics

• Staying Found: It Beats the Alternative

Putting the “Old Woman” to Work—Harnessing the Wind

• How Hard is It Blowing? Taking the Measure of the Breeze

• Putting the Old Woman to Work: Canoe Sailing
• Sailors' Choice: Ways to Ride the Wind

• Sail Talk: Afloat on a Sea of Words, Part 1
• Sail Talk: Afloat on a Sea of Words, Part 2

The Amphibious Paddler—Tips for No-Octane Trips

• On Your Bike? Why Not!
• Paddlers' Wheels—Bikes for Boaters
• Outfitting for Adventure
• All Systems Go! The Pre-Ride Check
• Rules of the (Asphalt) Road—Getting to the Put-In

• Trailering Your Boat with a Bike
• The Finer Points of Trailering

• Bag It! A Boat to Fit Your Bike

Off Season? Making It Through Winter

• Weathering Winter in Style—On the Home Front
• Weathering Winter in Style—More from the Home Front
• Weathering Winter in Style—Exploring the Frozen World

• On Thin Ice: Is It Safe?
• On Thin Ice: Stepping Out
• On Thin Ice: Breaking Through—Self-Rescue and Beyond

 

Alimentary, My Dear—Fuel for Paddlers

Getting Started

• Food for Thought
• Good to Go: Keeping Food Fresh Under Way
• Dry It On!
• Putting Something By For A Rainy Day

Thirst Is a Dangerous Thing

• Water, Water, Everywhere, But Not a Drop to Drink?
• No Sweat! Power Drinking and Eating Made Easy
• The Tao of Tea
• Java Jive: The Ch'i of Coffee
• A Jug of Wine

Everycook's Staple Foods

• Meez Matters: The Camp Cook's Indispensables.
• Packing a Punch with Spices and Herbs
• Our Daily Bread
• The Fat of the Land
• Gifts From the Home Farm

Starting the Day

• What's for Breakfast?
• From Hand to Mouth: A Sandwich for Breakfast?

From Soup to Nuts

• Soup's On!
• Making Your Own Dried Soups
• Salad Days: Greens (and More) to Go
• Fruit for Thought!
• Fast Food Under Way: Focusing on Fruit
• Go Nuts!

Come ’n Get It!

• Pizza to Go? Why Not!
• Bruschetta? You Betcha!
• Home-Cooked Meals in Camp? Why Not?
• Bagels—From the Deli to Your Belly

• Risotto, Again? The Wonders of Rice
• Use Your Noodle
• Pasta, Pronto!
• Endless Pastabilities
• The Power of Fusion
• Sausage: When Only the Wurst Will Do
• Just Say CHEESE!

• This Spud's For You
• Mad About Mushrooms
• Use Your Bean!

• The Joy of Not Cooking
• The Middle Way—Minimalist Cooking
• A Box Lunch Primer
• Dinner's in the Can
• Fast Food Under Way: Quesadillas
• Fast Food Under Way: Satays
• A Whole in One: One-Pot Meals Made Easy
• Where's the Beef? Building Meatless Backcountry Menus
• Tortilla Round

Sweets and Treats

• Chocolate: The Food of the Gods
• Lift Your Spirits! Hot Treats for Cold Paddlers
• Chill Out! Cool Treats for Hot Paddlers
• Just Desserts
• More Just Desserts
• Secrets From the Test Kitchen: Apple of My Eye

Other Times, Other Places

• Hardtack for Hard Traveling
• Lean Times, Hard Rations
• Stone-Age Cuisine
• Chopsticks, Anyone?

The Portable Pantry—Food and Trip-Planning

• Planning for a Big Trip: First Things
• Food for the Long Haul
• Building a Menu

• The Other Family Jewels: Pots and Pans
• Cast-Iron Joy
• Packing Heat: Fuel for Thought
• Fire in the Hole! Campfire Cookery

 

It's Only Natural! Personal Voyages of Discovery

• Paddling with a Purpose
• First, Do No Harm: A Paddler's Decalogue

• Making Your Own Luck: Outfitting for Discovery
• Write On! Fixing Images on the Emulsion of Memory
• Shape and Shadow: The Art of Sketching

• It's Only Natural: Acquainted with the Night
• It's Only Natural: On the Water
• The Enduring Legacy of Professor Secchi

• The Lure of Small Water
• In the Company of Trees
• Going to the Birds

• Streams in the Desert: Wildness in Man's Shadow
• It's Only Natural: Waste Not, Want Not

 

Air, Earth, and Water—Natural History for Paddlers

The Four Pillars

• The Four Pillars of the Paddler's World: Water
• The Four Pillars of the Paddler's World: Earth, Fire, and Air

The World of Water

• A First Look at the Stuff that Holds Us Up
• Between Two Worlds
• Revolution Beneath the Surface
• The Life History of a Wave

Liquid Assets—Marsh, Bog, and Swamp

• The Joy of Swamps
• Salt Marshes

Where Water Meets Rock—Of Gravity and Geology

• The Dynamics of Moving Water: Theme and Variation
• The Dynamics of Moving Water: Rhythm and Tempo

• On the Beach
• Surf's Up! Where the Sea Meets the Land
• Coastwise: Exploring the World at Land's End
• Barrier Islands and Beaches
• Where the River Meets the Roadstead

• Eskers: Remembrance of Rivers Past
• Hidden in Plain Sight: Legacies From the Last Ice Age

• The Ins and Outs of Potholes
• Discourse of Rivers: A Tale of Two Rivers
• Discourse of Rivers: It’s a Matter of Scale
• Debriefing a Rapids

The Restless Air

• Weather Happens
• Under Pressure: Using a Barometer
• Anvils of the Gods: Thunderstorms
• Season of Mists: The World of Fog

• Portraits of Weather: The Language of Clouds

Flora and Fauna

• Palimpsest: The Living Legacy of the North American Beaver
• The Lively World of Dead Trees
• The Paddling Naturalist: Life on the Edge

• Stinkhorns, Earthtongues and Dead-man's Fingers
• The Noxious Twins: Poison Ivy and Poison Oak
• Alien Invasion!

• Sex in the Water: 200 Million Years Old and Still Going Strong
• The Double Life of Amphibians
• Sex on the Wing: Mosquitoes, Punkies, Blackflies, and You
• Silent Summer: The Voice of the Wilderness Fades Away
• The Big Sleep: Waiting for Warmth to Return
• Drummers in the Walls
• The Courage of Turtles
• The Industry of Skunks
• Sucker! The Skillful Leech

Read All About It! Books for Nature-Lovers

• Nature's an Open Book: The Living World
• Nature's an Open Book: The Physical World
• Nature's An Open Book: Virtual Voyages

 

Voices From the Wild—The Silent Majority Speaks Out

• Ratatosk: A Red Squirrel
• The River Warden: Chipmunk on Our Doorstep
• Not a Creature Was Stirring: A Mouse in the House
• Boyz in the Woods: Coyote Tells It Like It Is
• The Sisterhood: Blackflies, Nietzsches of the North Woods
• Talking Turkey: Return of a Native
• Last Beachhead? Sea Turtle Blues
• Busy as a Beaver
• The Sounds of Silence: A Chickadee Looks at His World

 

Waterway Rambling—Paddling Back to the Future

• Making Connections
• Back to the Future
• Oh, for a Short Ship! Boats for Ramblers
• Picking Up the Thread
• Upstreaming Made Easy

 

Paddling through Time—The Canoe and Kayak in History

• In the Beginning: The Well-Traveled Barrister
• In the Beginning: The Little Giant
• In the Beginning: The Boy-Men

• War in a Wilderness: The Siege of Khartoum
• War in a Wilderness: The Campaign of the Cataracts

 

Beyond the Beauty Strip—Ethics and Environment

• Home Water: A Purpose in Liquidity

• Bad Idea! Trespass and "Commando Camping"
• Burning Issues: When to Say NO to a Campfire—and Why

• Keep It Clean! Practical Ecology for Paddlers
• Monofilament, Deadly Deceiver
• When It's Not a Good Idea to Look the Other Way

• TANSTAAFL: Hiawatha Meets the Dismal Science
• The View from Hubbert's Peak

 

Wheel of the Year—Reflections on Spirit and Season

• In the Same Boat: Getting Acquainted
• The Prodigals Return: In The Same Boat is Back

• Collateral Damage: Memorial Day Reflections
• The Third Season: The Best of Times
• The Third Season Revisited: The Worst of Times?

• Happy Are the Painters
• The Joy of Lex: The Hidden Treasures of Old Books

• Batteries Not Included: The Virtues of Simplicity
• The Gifts of the Magi: A Contrarian Christmas Carol

• Upstream: Remembering the River of My Youth
• Bark-Eater: Eulogy for an Old-Timer
• The River of Beer

• Wheel of the Year: Study to be Quiet
• Wheel of the Year: The Return of the Light
• Wheel of the Year: Silence, Snow and Sewage
• Wheel of the Year: On the Wing!

• Snapshot: Dancing with Seals

• The Wilderness Mystique: The Landscape of the Mind
• Up North: Reflections on Mystique, Reality, and Magic

• Girl Talk: Seeing Pink!

• The Water Way: Aqua Vitae
• The Water Way—The Swamp

 

Our Readers Write—Letters from Our Mailbox

• Straight Talk
• Dark-Adapted Eyes, Culture Tripping, and More
• Beating the Fog of Winter
• The Swarms of Summer: Jet-Skis and Biting Flies
• “Farwell's Rules,” Footwear, and Folding Boats
• Change of the Seasons, Water Devils, Rules, and Loons
• Thinking Like a River
• Letters Too Good to Keep to Ourselves
• The Unexpurgated Wiggle Test—and More!
• Pesto to PFDs
• From Trip's End to Remington's Bike
• Dinner in the Rockies and The Wind in the Willows
• From Traveling Lizards to “Newt Nectar”
• A Garage for Your Dachshund
• The Secret of Brenna's Lost Smile
• Buddy, Can you spare a Light?

• On Heeding the Still, Small Voice
• A Few Words From the Texas Hills
• A Better Yoke, and More
• Of Puffins, Theme Parks, and Happy Endings
• Dreaming of Spring (and Sailing)
• An Appetite for Summer
• Catching Up
• No Hibernating!
• The Over-the-Hill Gang Speaks Out!
• Disentangling a Deadly Web
• From the Earthy to the Sublime
• Getting a Leg Up—Safely and With Style (of Course!)
• Nourishing Body and Spirit
• Safety First and Last
• A Little Essential Reading
• Fall In! Autumn Comes to Canoe Country

 

Spotlight—Books and Videos for Paddlers

• Reading Nature
• Books for Web-Footed Children
• Beyond Band-Aids: Medical Handbooks for Paddlers

• Outwater on Water: Water: A Natural History
• A Labor of Love: Healers of the Wild
• The Lady's Not for Turning: The Story of Mina Hubbard

• Good Guidebooks: Handicapping the Field
• Good Guidebooks: North Flow
• Good Guidebooks: Quiet Water Canoe Guide
• Good Guidebooks: Kid Stuff
• Another Good Guidebook: Paddling Hawai'i

• Showing the Way: The Adirondack Paddler's Map
• Virtual Voyages: Videotapes for Paddlers

 

Trip of a Lifetime—A Novel Experience

• Chapter by Chapter:
  The Trip in Brief
• The Usual Suspects:
  The People in Trip

• Chapter 1: Stirrings
• Chapter 2: The Cold Light of Dawn
• Chapter 3: Something Turns Up
• Chapter 4: I've Got a Little List
• Chapter 5: On Snyder's Pond
• Chapter 6: Knotty Problem
• Chapter 7: Friends and Lovers
• Chapter 8: April Fools
• Chapter 9: End of the Trail
• Chapter 10: Shooting the Sun
• Chapter 11: A Foreign Country
• Chapter 12: Everything Was Wonderful
• Chapter 13: Looking for a Boat
• Chapter 14: Unlucky Friday
• Chapter 15: Three Sisters
• Chapter 16: Stepping the Mast
• Chapter 17: Old Glory
• Chapter 18: A Wink is as Good as a Nod
• Chapter 19: James Bay or Bust!
• Chapter 20: On Different Wavelengths
• Chapter 21: Between a Rock and a Hard Place
• Chapter 22: Billy Swamp
• Chapter 23: The End of the Beginning
• Chapter 24: Into the Mists
• Chapter 25: Up the Creek
• Chapter 26: In the Same Boat
• Chapter 27: On a Wing and a Prayer
• Chapter 28: The Eagle Has Landed
• Chapter 29: Making Connections
• Chapter 30: Upriver
• Chapter 31: Freedom's Just Another Word…
• Chapter 32: A Forlorn Hope?
• Chapter 33: Homecoming
• Epilogue: And Nothing Hurt

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