Solo on the Ausable River: Trying a new PFD from Stearns and dry bags from SealLine

Late fall trips are always on my list each year but this time around I decided to stay off the trails and head for the Ausable River in upper Michigan for a few day solo trip.

In general, I am a backpacker and not a canoeist, sure I canoe the lakes I camp on when I have a car to get me there and I have traversed lakes to campsites along them, but was a bit different. So when I opened my equipment list on my computer it did not exactly fit my needs.

In short, I needed a way to keep my gear dry in the canoe and I very honestly needed an updated life jacket.

So it was time to look for a new PFD and dry bags.

The life jacket ( PFD) I had is a very general recreation type, intended to be worn in situations where extreme freedom of  movement of the arms is not a necessity as it is in canoeing or kayaking. It will do  when I have cross a lake to camp, but it would not work out for extended paddling, it would be too restrictive and uncomfortable.

So the search began.

When it came to finding a new PFD I was amazed by the variety and the price range of what is on the market. I thought that spending big money may make sense for those who will be using their  PFD reasonably often, but as I came to find, spending the big bucks really was not necessary. What I wanted was a PFD that was dependable, offered all the safety certifications that matter, is comfortable, made me feel secure and is affordable.

So I started looking around and reading as much as I could on paddle sport websites about the different PFDs on the market. It can get a bit crazy with prices ranging from $20 and up to near $200.

The Avant 200 Paddlesports Life Vest offered comfort 

while paddling and security, especially when the 

winds were gusting up to nearly 30 mph. 

One of the benefits of being an outdoors writer is that I have access to experts at the companies that offer the gear we all use in the outdoors. So when I have a question I can send an email or pick up the phone so I contacted Stearns Flotation.

Stearns Flotation has a long history on the market. They make everything from strange little water wings for children to full blown PFDs for the most extreme conditions faced by search and rescue teams and the military. Along with this wide variety of gear is the fact that the pricing on the recreational vests put them well within reach of all of those heading onto the water.

Thanks to the people at Sterns I was offered the chance to try which ever PFD I felt would work for me and I picked the Avant 200 Paddlesports Life Vest. First off, it offered the options I was looking for, a zipper front, ease of adjustment and what is always important to me is a reasonable price. Retail on the PFD is $37.99 and can be found online for right around $30. This is always important to me when I have the chance to test gear, will the price of the item make it available to the average outdoors person and in the case of the Avant 200, the answer was yes.

The Avant 200 Paddlesports Life Vest is designed for as its name implies, those who are doing more than just sitting in a boat. The arm openings are wide enough to provide unimpeded movement and the zipper closed front makes it easy to put on and take off. There are two adjustment straps on each side with slide buckles that are easy to use and when tightened down, for me, the PFD felt comfortable and secure.

As I said, I needed to feel confident in the PFD I was wearing and when I hit one of the big ponds on the river being moved by 15 mph winds with gusts approaching 30 mph, I was glad I had the Avant. On that day I had to make 15 miles to be close to my pickup point the next morning. With an entire day on the water wearing the Avant, it was very comfortable and it offered the freedom I needed when paddling. My only observation is that a small  pocket or two on the Avant would really add to the convenience of keeping small needed items at hand, but I solved this easy enough with a small pouch attached to the canoe cross member near me.

Next on the list were dry bags.

With the three dry bags from SealLine, I was able to carry 

the vast majority of my gear secure that it would remain dry.  

In the past I would line everything with heavy duty trash bags, add my gear and then put my packs in trash bags and then hope for the best. This works if all goes as planned but then there are times when nothing goes as expected. The major problem with the "trash bag" system is that they tear and puncture easily and believe me you will punch holes in them The only trash bag I used on this trip was in my day pack as a liner. The gear in it would not be ruined if it got wet and the pack protected the plastic trash bag.

Another concern was that unlike cruising on a lake that I remained on, going on the Ausable required that I would have to portage at dams along the way. Having gear in trash bags will not work when going solo with a couple hundred yard portage from the take out point to the next entry on the river.

Again I was lucky on this point having the opportunity to test out a few dry bags and a portage pack from SealLine. Individuals who use dry bags understand just how well they work and for those who do not and plan on being on the water on a regular basis, believe me the convenience and water tight security they offer is well worth the cost.  Add to this the fact that if they are properly cared for, they can last for a very long time.

The three bags, part of the Nimbus line from the company were a 5 liter, 10 liter and a 30 liter bag which provided plenty of storage. Prices on the bags are $19.99, $24.99 and $34.99 respectively.  I was able to separate my gear in a way that I could access what was needed while leaving the other bags closed and in the canoe.

Using the 10 liter bag I was able to store my Trangia 27-4 UL cook set, a Firebox Gen2 Nano stove, alcohol fuel, a collapsible wash basin and a few other items for the kitchen.  In the 30 liter bag I was able to stow all of my clothing which I separated in smaller plastic bags based on use, such as base, mid and outer layers and socks. 

Finally in small 5 liter bag I had all of my photography gear, my still camera, video camera, lenses and extra batteries along with a digital audio recorder and microphones.

Nimbus dry bags are very simply polyester nylon bags with a very tough urethane coating. What makes them special and water tight is the way in which the top seals. After they are loaded, the opening of the bag is folded over a small amount, there is a strip which controls the width of the fold. You then press the air out of the bag and fold it again and finally a third time. There is a strap and a buckle on the outside of the fold and when brought together, the pressure forms a water tight seal and in effect creates a handle. Once you get used to folding and "burping" the air out of the bag the process is fast and easy. 

At one campsite on my trip, the bank was a couple feet above the river and while I was tossing my gear up onto the shore, the bag with my camera gear rolled off and into the water, getting trapped between the canoe and the shore. The shot of adrenaline I felt as I watched it hit the water was intense and then it floated up and just sat there. To say I was relieved that I had that dry bag is an understatement and it was reinforced when I opened the bag and found everything dry.

With adjustable, padded shoulder straps

and a very basic hip belt, the Boundary Bag 

makes it much easier to move your gear 

when making portages. 

Perhaps the best of the dry bags I had the chance to use was the 70 liter Boundary Pack from SealLine. The best way to describe this is a large single cavity rubberized backpack with a roll down top that straps down making it water tight. There are shoulder straps and a very basic waist belt making it easy to carry on a portage. This sort of pack is not built for comfort like a backpack, but it allows a person to haul gear on a portage and it truly saved me a lot of work.

The 70 liter size allowed me to stuff in a rather large sleeping bag I was testing, my tent, tarp, compressed sleeping pad and a host of other small items stored in a plastic bag. What I really liked was the top of the bag where you roll it down. As with other dry bags there are strips that control just how wide of a fold you can make and added to this were instructions. First it is "fold a to b" then "2: fold tightly again" then  "3: fold connect buckles D-ring  out". It does not get much easier than that.

Though I was using a portage cart to move the heavy canoe I was using, it was extremely helpful to be able to put the portage pack on and reduce the weight I was pulling. If I was in a more remote area with a lighter canoe that I would be carrying,  the Boundary Pack would be invaluable.

For anyone heading into remote areas with a canoe I highly recommend this portage pack, it is not inexpensive with at a retail of $90 but it is also not over priced either. Considering I carry a backpack on the trails that cost me three times the cost of the Boundary Pack, it is a great buy for all it will do for you.

Over all the dry bags worked out very well and as I said the Boundary Pack is a must have if you are going to be portaging any distance at all.

For more information on the Stearns Avant 200 and other products offered by the company, head to the Stearns website.

Information on Nimbus dry bags and the Boundary Pack can be had at the SealLine website. SealLine is a subsidiary of Cascade Designs, which offers top shelf products for use in the outdoors.