my kayak, and what to do...

[Hetairoi]

+1 on protect your paddle.

In Michigan we have rodents and other animals that love salt, and the handle or grips on paddles are sought after.

On Isle Royale, we have moose, and it is recomended to not leave your canoe or kayak lying flat. Stand them up in a tree so they cannot be stepped in and holed by moose.

TZ

hehe, slightly different critters to worry about down south

[ganon414]

hehe, slightly different critters to worry about down south

not the dreaded 8-legged bovine!

[mbiraman]

An after thought. You might want to join
http://www.myccr.com/
and ask the question there as there are allot of canoeists who might have an opinion.
And for those who want a few more pics
http://www.google.ca/search?q=malign...iw=958&bih=644

[DiscoveryDiver]

I've never paddled in bear country, but have done some good reading on the subject when we were looking (uneventfully) for property in AK.

There are some forums that cater to Alaska outdoor sports scene (serious bear country):
http://forums.outdoorsdirectory.com/

There is a whole section on Kayaking Alaska.

I have a book somewhere about renting park cabins in AK...has some great stories in general, many to do with bear encounters. Some kayak folks hoist their rigs up into trees or onto the roofs of cabins...

[Timberrr]

I'd agree that critters shouldn't be the problem.
People certainly can be.

Our yaks have molded in handles so I thread in a couple of heavy duty, braided steel bicycle locks from WW . I lock them to the roof rack when I park and lock them to each other when I have to leave them pulled up on a shore. Of course it isn't going to stop a determined thief, but it'll help keep honest people honest. Mind you, I still have to worry about the high priced seats and the carbon fiber paddles and the gear and the......

Ghandi said, "We don't own our possessions, they own us."

[HangingKayaker]

Just reserved my three nights with Parks Canada. Two nights at Coronet Creek which is at the far end of Maligne Lake and one night at Fisherman Bay which is halfway. Cost was $40.
I've paddled maligne a little in the last year but this is my first long outing on it. Didn't realize that the time I booked, June 10-12 is the first weekend the lake is open due to the ice being off!! If it's not gone, they will allow me to push my dates back.
Asked about hammock camping and the response I got was that they consider it bivy camping (not allowed) and wanted me to tent in the designated campsite. They also questioned the damage the hammock may cause to the trees?? Mmmm. I'll take both but will try and get a definite answer as the date gets closer. Didn't want to argue over the phone with the girls, she's just doing her job.

[mbiraman]

I've never paddled in bear country, but have done some good reading on the subject when we were looking (uneventfully) for property in AK.

There are some forums that cater to Alaska outdoor sports scene (serious bear country):
http://forums.outdoorsdirectory.com/

There is a whole section on Kayaking Alaska.

I have a book somewhere about renting park cabins in AK...has some great stories in general, many to do with bear encounters. Some kayak folks hoist their rigs up into trees or onto the roofs of cabins...

You have to be careful about what you read concerning, "The Stories". Allot of it is exaggerated and BS. I've lived in bear country for 40 yrs and have had allot of encounters, Black bear, and its almost never a problem,,yea i had a real charge one time but it worked out. If your kayaking the coast you have to be aware of areas where grizzlies feed on salmon etc, don't camp there, other than that they stay away. I'm part of a forum of coastal paddlers and generally other than not leaving your food around no extra precautions are taken or needed, in fact the raccoons and mice are the biggest problems, very smart B*ggers.