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Tadayo
16
Jun 8, 2017
I have two of these, It actually works pretty well. Sure the bag inflation method takes more time than a foot pump, but then you don't need a foot pump. Also don't bother with the paddle, just use 2 trowels, it really don't stear true as it lacks the draw if you use a normal paddle (or shovel). It is stable enough for me at 6'5" but i can't bring my pack with me. i honestly run with two so i can ferry gear and people if we will be in an area with rivers/lakes. Haven't sunk yet!
jonnywill
3
Dec 2, 2018
TadayoHey I really like that you mentioned using trowels/shovels. I've seen or heard mention of a few LWD users using cheap plastic ping pong paddles, similarly shaped paddles DIY'd from corrugated plastic and attached to trekking poles or handheld, swim flippers/fins/hand paddles as well as collapsible Atwood emergency paddles as their main paddles, all with seemingly more maneuverability and definitely lighter weight and bulk than the 4-piece paddles that came with my intex challenger and my Costco LWD (Costco website is definitely the way to go for those complaining about Massdrop's shipping and the fact that LWD's don't come with a paddle, but I'm not gonna reply to those posts to advertise that fact) So today I was fiddling with my gear closet and looked at my Cold Steel Special Forces Shovel. I used it a ton in my teens and twenties, it's heavy, it's worn, it's dull, it didn't come with a sheath back then. I was bored and decided to put a knife edge on it after years of keeping it on the dull side of tool-sharp. Now I need a sheath. I looked into prefab kydex sheath. $55. Nope. Not paying that. Though I could DIY one, I have the spare time and tools. I thought about how heavy and clunky it is and why I don't use it anymore, but how it can do the job of a potty trowel, hatchet/machete (albeit poorly) and even a skillet (and more depending on how much of a pinch you're in, but let's not kid ourselves, it's mostly a weapon disguised as a small shovel that happens to be a decent shovel too) But also a LWD paddle! (if only the knife edge wouldn't gash my boat open) So I thinks some more. And what if I made a sheath out of kydex (or something lighter but similar) that also turns your shovel into a more effective paddle? Of course I'd need to weigh my poop trowel, hatchet, paddle, and everything the sheath/shovel combo could replace...and I doubt it would be very marketable to anyone but bushcrafting/survival/bug-out nerds who also own an LWD, as not many other packrafts can be paddled as well by such a contraption. Maybe Klymit could offer a "Recon" version like their sleeping pads and pillows or even that King's camo I've seen static V's sold in to give my coffee fueled hair-brained idea a market. You saw it here first folks! Hahaha.