Participate

Kayak Wild is not my personal boating blog. Its reason for being is to facilitate the free and unencumbered exchange of information related to self supporting and kayak camping on whitewater. User registration is only required for content submission.

Appropriate subjects include trip reports (pix and links to edited video!), permitting and regulations, gear suitable to overnight kayaking, including boats. The core of this interest should center naturally within the inescapable necessity and desirability to pack everything required for safe and comfortable multi-day river excursions into your boat. Of specific and continuing interest to me are:

  • Kayaks and kayak outfitting
  • Personal waste (potty) systems
  • Firepans
  • Boater wear
  • River cuisine

What is inappropriate? I am totally disinterested in your latest feats of waterfall leaping, unless of course, you are daring-do with a week’s worth of gear in your boat. As we have all seen, any Jackass can do that. I am almost equally unconcerned about the claiming of first descents, unless it can be substantiated beyond doubt (and of course, involves self supporting). I am particularly sensitive to this last point as I have unexpectedly come across internet era claims of “firsts” which I knew to be false. I knew with absolute certainty because I had run these rivers myself in the 80’s, and in some cases, wasn’t even under the impression that I had been first at the time.

Pretty much anything to do with whitewater kayak camping is fair game. That includes international expedition kayaking if you are so inclined. Manufacturers of relevant gear are welcome to contribute as long as overt advertising is restrained.

I have kicked off the discussions with my 2012 trip down the Middle Fork of the Salmon River, the recounting of which – by text, photo, and video – contains the sum total of the limited amount of information and experience I have gathered in over a quarter century’s worth of self supporting on rivers throughout the American West.

There’s an old joke – um… two elderly women are at a Catskill mountain resort, and one of ’em says, ‘Boy, the food at this place is really terrible.’ The other one says, ‘Yeah, I know; and such small portions.’

That quote by Woody Allen’s character Alvy Singer, from Annie Hall, pretty much sums up Kayak Wild’s initial state of affairs of, and crying need for, knowledgeable contributors. I invite others to contribute, and though I intend to moderate contributions, this site is in the end not about me, but us. You will need to register in order to post content on Kayak Wild. Please contact me if you wish to submit appropriate content.

EDITORIAL & DISCUSSION GUIDELINES

Anyone who has spent any time on the web understands the absolute necessity to moderate user comment and edit contributions. It is an unfortunate and inescapable reality of a free internet.

There is simply no reason to limit access to information by the easy use of easy, coarse language. There are far too few of us as it is. No profanity.

Please use visual media (i.e., photos, video, etc.) as liberally and appropriately wherever possible to illustrate text. Do not upload media directly to Kayak Wild. Please link to other servers designed to handle media, such as YouTube, Vimeo, Flickr, etc. This is a best practice wherever you post original work on the web. You retain control of the files and portal websites such as Kayak Wild (or Facebook, BTW) are neither liable nor accountable for the sanctity of your work. If you need assistance in linking files, please contact me.

Recognizing that passionate disputes are inevitable, I would much prefer that all contributions to Kayak Wild observe the following tenor. Write your contributions and replies as if you were offering another way of doing things, not the only way. In other words, if you observe someone packing their boat “incorrectly” on the bank, make a suggestion, bid them a good day, and paddle on.

Lastly, please be understanding if it takes me awhile to get back to you either in moderation or discussions. I think it obvious by history alone that since it has taken over two years to bring both Kayak Wild and Wild River to fruition, these particular endeavors are not high priorities for me. After all, I may just be on the river.