Less Than 12 Hours To Go

The clock is winding down to the beginning of the 22nd Annual Memorial Weekend Canoe Trip.  It is officially official that Bug and I are going to be the only ones to go this year.  I think it is going to be a grand adventure for both of us.  I just wish we could have gotten The Tank for the trip as I am still trying to wrap my head around how the hell I'm going to get all of our gear into the Core Craft.  I just don't know what I could leave behind that we really don't need to free up space in the canoe.  About all I can think of is one of the lanterns and the table.  Both of which don't take up a lot of room, however, the table does add a little weight.  I'm pretty sure that Little Minnow has a picnic table there and with just the two of us we shouldn't need the camping table yet on the flip side I would hate to get there and have no table at all.  Still that isn't the biggest problem.  The biggest problem is the coolers.


I would like to bring two average sized coolers on the trip.  One for drinks and the other for food, but the reality is that I only have room for one of them because I need room for the mess kit.  The mess kit has all we need for cooking along with our dry food storage.  There isn't a way around leaving it behind so it has to come with us.  I all reality I could bring the two coolers and the mess kit, however, I then wouldn't have room for the other gear like clothes, sleeping bags, tent, cots, chairs and the few other dry bags with odds and ends in them.  In some ways I wish Ducky's canoe had license on it so I could take that one.  I believe that it does have a little more space in it which would make the loading of gear a lot easier.  I do have a smaller cooler that I could potentially use for the food, but that doesn't leave me a lot of room for other items ya know. 


I think I have got it figured out on how I'm going to load all the gear into our canoe.  I'm going to keep a lot of the weight, big cooler and mess kit, towards the front to counter the weight difference between myself and Bug.  I'm going to take the little cooler in the back with me along with the gear in the dry-bags.  I think that should give us a good balance and free up a little extra space.  I should also be able to put a few things in front of Bug as he is just a little guy and would have room at the bow of the canoe.  Nevertheless, all this could be simplified if The General would let me borrow The Tank.


I did request to use it, but he said he may take a day trip with one of my cousin's kids.  I would be willing to bet that he wants to take the trip in his canoe because he would also be brining he new puppy Oliver with him.  Having a puppy in a tippy canoe would not be a wise thing as the potential to take a chilly dip in the river is eminent.  I may give him a jingle tonight and see if they would like to make the same run we are doing so they can stop and say hello and then be on their merry way. 


Well it is almost time for Bug and I to head out.  Until next time I will remain...Crazy Joe.