Spanish Fly for Overnight Trips

[cheajack]

I'm getting way too old. 100 miles in a Fly loaded with camping gear sounds more like a jail term than an adventure.

[Paddle Power]

Because you have done over night trips you should stuff the gear into the SF and try it out for a day trip and let us know what it was like.

[the great gonzo]

I don't think I would ever consider doing a multi-day trip loaded in a short open boat. They just get to wet and sluggish IMHO. For multiday trips I have either a decked creeker or, if it's not very rocky, my Outrage. But I am sure if you go super duper light, as mentioned by other posters, it can be done.

Cheers!

TGG!

[Marc Evans]

It has been more than three years since I started this thread and I was surprised to see this posting resurrected. It wasn't long after my initial post that I concluded the Spanish Fly wouldn't be the best platform for a multiday trip - though if anyone could do it, I would think Philcanoe could. I'm in agreement with the Great Gonzo, that either a decked creeker or a larger OC1 would be the ticket.

As little background, I live near many of the big western rivers (Salmon, Selway, Snake, etc.) where multiday trips are the norm. I've been lucky for the last 6 or 8 years in that my daughter has rowed the gear raft on most of the trips and has allowed me to be in the SFly. I'm afraid that those days are numbered, as she is soon to be living life away from mom and dad. As part of my desire to enjoy multiday trips I started thinking about what boat would work for such a trip, carry the necessary gear load and still have some fun playing as I made my way down the river. The SFly is a great boat for day trips, and multiday trips, when unloaded. Loaded with gear for a self-supported trip might be a deal breaker. Also, I boat year round and being in a bathtub full of ice water does wear on my old joints. So, I finally decided to find a boat to convert to a C1. I sold my other OC1 (Outrage) and used the money to buy a Pyrahna Everest. I figured the Everest would be able to handle the gear needed for a self supported trip. Unfortunately, even with a saddle of 8.5 inches, I can't stay in the for more than a days worth of paddling without having too much knee inflammation the next day (tore the ACL and cartiledge and it won't be getting any better). The SFly has a 9.5 inch saddle and I can stay in it day after day without problem. I tried a higher saddle in the Everest, but there is too much loss of stability. I really like the Everest, relatively fast, stable and a little edgy, though not too edgy. So, I'll keep the Everest for the cold weather day runs. Recently (read as last weekend) I picked up a used LL Remix XP10 for multiday trips. At 10.25 feet long, 28 inches wide and 105 gallons, I thought this might be the platform I was looking for - able to provide stability, even with a tall saddle. This is the boat that CosmikDebris and the Liquid Logic folks took down the Grand Canyon on a 12 day self supported trip. There is a thread here on CBoats from a while back about this boat (http://www.cboats.net/cforum3/viewtopic ... hilit=xp10). CosmikDesbris discusses the potential of this boat in the thread.

I haven't had the boat on the water, so I can't say how this will all work out, but I looking forward to finding out. I will give a report when I've converted it, though probably not until spring. I'll give a report when I've had some time in the boat.

Marc

[Einar]

l'Edge on Middle Fork Salmon last Sept 18-25 for 7 days.
Rafts carried the beer.

[Eli]

I picked up a Gaia Sto-Float Airbag so I can fit my gear inside the Spanishfly on overnighters. For just a few days, I think the Spanishfly is fine. Don't overpack. Sleeping gear and food are really all you need. I am intrigued by the new "lifestraw" water filter. Consider drinking whiskey instead of beer and you can pack much lighter...

[leclercraven]

I do overnighters, 4 - 7 days with my Esquif Raven. Day trips in my Taureau.