I wanted to give you – our faithful email subscribers some interesting new developments about our upcoming Louisiana Adventure Expo Weekend.

Breakfast Paddle

BSA Troop 10 will be providing an old-time Boy Scout Pancake Breakfast at Lake Martin for the paddle.  There’s a $5 donation per person that will go to support the troop. This paddle has gained a lot of traction – and should have a LARGE number of paddlers.  Don’t miss out!!!!

Vendor Expo

The Vendor Expo is going to be bigger and better than ever.  We’ve gotten commitments from lots of companies that will be sending representatives to Pack & Paddle for the expo.  Here’s a listing of the companies that are currently coming:

Merrell Footwear
Hurricane Kayaks
Kelty
Sierra Designs
Jackson Kayaks
TFO Rods
The Camp Fly Fishing School
Wilderness Systems Kayaks
Hobie Kayaks
Diablo Kayaks
Vibram Five Fingers
Yak Attack Kayak Fishing Products
Cajun Paddle Tools
Cascade Designs/Thermarest
Costa del Mar Sunglasses
The North Face
NuCanoe
Native Watercraft

Our seminars have begun to take shape as well.  Here’s a listing of seminars that we have set up so far:

1) Fly-casting demonstration from Tom Jindra of TFO.

2) Fishing knots. Allow one hour indoors. A projector would be helpful, but not essential. I will bring enough fishing line for everybody to tie knots with me. Call it, “Knots You Need.”

3)  Wilderness Systems representative Joe Poole will lead a Kayak Fishing Seminar:  Introduction to Kayak Fishing Coastal Waters.

4)  Sabine Bildstein, our Vibram Five Fingers rep will lead a Natural Running seminar covering how to safely get started with barefoot running

5) Chris Haley will lead a seminar on styles of Kayak Fishing including techniques and locations

6)  Thomas Flemons from Diablo Paddlesports will show off his “super-rigged” kayak and show you all the latest ideas on kayak rigging.

Please stay tuned for exact lineup and times.

Adventure Film Festival

We’ve now set the lineup of films for the festival:

The Dark Side of the Lens – Directed by: Mickey Smith

Of Forests and Men – Directed by: Yann Arthus-Bertrand

Towers of Ennedi – Directed by: Jimmy Chin and Renan Ozturk

Playgrounds Re-Imagined – Directed by: Seth Warren

COLD – Directed by: Anson Fogel

INTERMISSION

Chimaera – Directed by: Malcolm Sangster

On Thin Sea Ice – Directed by: Tor Eckhoff

Kadoma – Directed by: Ben Stookesberry

Mr Happy Man – Directed by: Matt Morris

We are really excited to be bringing the Adventure Film Festival to Lafayette for the very first time.  You can surf YouTube for trailers on these films.  Also stay tuned over the next week.  We’ll be posting trailers for these films on our Facebook page.

This year’s expo weekend is shaping up to be the best ever.  We hope you’ll spend some time checking out all the new gear and getting inspired to get out this coming spring!

Becky and I are excited to announce that National Geographic and Outside Magazine Adventurer of the Year Andrew Skurka will visit Pack & Paddle for a very special two night event.  Andrew is an adventurer we’ve always followed with interest – but never dreamed we would be able to bring to Lafayette for a slide show.  March 16th and 17th are the dates to mark on your calendar for this exciting adventure free event!  Come to one night 0r both nights to be inspired and then learn the tips, trips and techniques that only the masters of the craft know.

Andrew is the author of the new book “The Ultimate Hikers Gear Guide” just now being released by National Geographic.  Andrew will host a book signing after the talks on both evenings.

Night 1:  Friday, March 16th – 6pm
Circling Alaska and Yukon – A 4,700 mil 6 month journey through Big Wilderness
For six months Andrew Skurka skied, hiked, and packrafted 4,700 miles in a giant loop around Alaska and Canada’s Yukon. His route passed just beneath Mt. McKinley, descended famed rivers like the Copper and Yukon, and traversed the entire Brooks Range. During the most remote and committing stretch of the trip, across the Yukon Arctic and Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, he went 657 miles and 24 days without crossing a road or seeing another person – an immersion in Big Wilderness that he found profoundly humbling.

In this program Skurka shares the journey’s most powerful stories and entertaining moments, complemented with stunning photos and emotional videos. He also reflects on the broader significance of this experience and of his other adventures – which cumulatively measure 30,000+ miles – with particular attention to setting goals, stepping outside comfort zones, and seizing life’s opportunities.

Night 2:  Saturday, March 17th – 7pm
Ultimate Hiking Gear and Skills Clinic
A backpacking trip consists of two distinct activities: hiking and camping. In this instructional clinic, renowned long-distance backpacker Andrew Skurka will discuss the gear, supplies and skills necessary to make hiking fun, not an arduous chore between campsites.

It begins with a discussion about how to define trip objectives and how to assess the environmental and route conditions that are typically encountered on a backpacking trip, like temperatures and precipitation. Then, Skurka explains exactly what he would bring on a hypothetical multi-day trip in a nearby and familiar location of the audience’s choosing. He focuses not just on his footwear, shelter, food, and other gear and supplies, but also on critical skills like foot care, campsite selection, and food protection techniques.

Questions from and discussions with audience members are highly encouraged, and are in fact critical to maximizing the value of this clinic.

Skurka is one of the most accomplished backpackers in the world, most well known for his 4,700-mile 6-month Alaska-Yukon Expedition, the 6,875-mile 7-month Great Western Loop, and the 7,775-mile 11-month Sea-to-Sea Route. He has been named “Adventurer of the Year” by the National Geographic Society and by Outside, and “Person of the Year” by Backpacker. He is the author of The Ultimate Hiker’s Gear Guide.

At the beginning of the class everyone shared with each other words of concern towards the cold wind and the newness of kayaking. But as the class progressed I could see and hear everyone getting more confident.

“Let’s go in our fast kayaks” Mary said to Julie. 

Then Anne said “How much longer will we be out here?” I paused and hesitated concerned that something was wrong but she quickly expessed with excitment “I want to stay out here longer. This is beautiful.”

The wind was really pushing us around but everyone was such a trouper and picked up on the technique very quickly.

I hope to see you all on future trips!!!

-Amy, Trip Leader

To see the rest of the photos from the class, click here!

Climb. Ride. Slide. Fly. Fight For Your Environment. Inspire. Go Higher Than You’ve Ever Dared To Go. Journey into the imagination.

Buy tickets on the Adventure Film website, here

Or on Pack & Paddle’s website, here

Or in-store at the register!

General Admission – $10

Every year the international Adventure Film selection committee chooses over thirty new films from approximately two hundred entries from around the world.  Awards Winners in nearly a dozen categories are selected, ranging from “Extreme Sport” to “Activism through Adventure.”

Adventure Film, as it’s known, covers risks, mighty and absurd, the unknown and those experiences that bring us to the edges of our seats with our hands over our eyes or our fists in the air. We believe in the power of the story, especially the narratives of adventure and awakening, to change and challenge the world we live in.

The Adventure Film Festival World Tour shares an expereince through the eyes of award-winning filmmakers, extreme athletes, and adventurers take a rite of passage to live out your deepest desires in nature’s most mysterious and enchanting kingdoms.

Take a look at the amazing line-up of films!

March 3rd Film Schedule:

The Dark Side of the Lens - Directed by: Mickey Smith
Of Forests and Men - Directed by: Yann Arthus-Bertrand
Towers of Ennedi - Directed by: Jimmy Chin and Renan Ozturk
Playgrounds Re-Imagined - Directed by: Seth Warren
COLD - Directed by: Anson Fogel

INTERMISSION

Chimaera - Directed by: Malcolm Sangster
On Thin Sea Ice - Directed by: Tor Eckhoff
Kadoma - Directed by: Ben Stookesberry
Mr Happy Man - Directed by: Matt Morris

( **ATTN Parents** the film “COLD” involves graphic scenes and language)

Presented by: 

Non Profit Partners:

Join us for a unique kayak fishing seminar to be given by nationally known Drew Gregory.  Drew is known from his popular website riverbassin.com as well as the River Bassin tournament trail.  Drew is also the lead fishing kayak designer for Jackson kayak – maker of the popular Coosa  and the new Cuda fishing kayaks.

Drew will speak on a variety of topics:

Tips and tricks of Stand-Up kayak fishing
The future of kayak fishing
Designing a fishing kayak from A to Z

This seminar is sure to be a great opportunity to learn some new ideas as well as a chance to get an inside look at how new fishing kayaks are created.

This seminar will be held after a short meeting of the Lafayette Kayak Fishing Club.  This event is open to the public and all interested anglers are encouraged to attend.

Meeting Time and Place: Meet at 6pm at Pack & Paddle
Price:  Free Event!

About Drew:
Drew Gregory, “BasserDrew” to many, is a professional kayak angler and an expert in bass fishing America’s rivers and creeks.  Drew hails from Atlanta, GA, and currently resides in Charlotte, North Carolina.  He has been river fishing since he could handle a rod and reel, but for the past nine years has been pioneering the sport of kayak fishing in freshwater rivers. Standing up and fishing out of his signature series watercraft, the Jackson Kayak Coosa for any fish that lives in hard to reach, wild water, is his passion.

Drew got into the sport of kayak fishing when he was still in college, because it was cheaper and more intriguing than traditional boat and lake fishing.  Since then, his knowledge and passion for the sport has flourished due to the fact that it easier on the wallet, the environment, better for health and fitness, and a sport that is simply more fun than traditional boat fishing. Drew is passionate about finding new, unexplored water where big bass abound, and will stop at nothing to get to them which sometimes makes for some crazy adventures!

In 2008 he launched RiverBassin.com,  a community of river bass fisherman who also share the passion of floating rivers in predominantly paddle powered watercraft.  From there, in 2010, he founded the River Bassin Tournament trail as a way for these paddle powered anglers to fellowship and enjoy a little competition at the same time.  Bass Pro Shops and other major brands came on board as headline sponsors, and in 2011 the trail expanded to 15 stops across the entire US.

Drew has also been known within, and outside of fishing circles for his now famous goose attack viral video.  In early 2010 Drew was fishing in his kayak, and filming as usual, when a goose decided to take a ride on his back!  Yes, the hilarity that ensued has now been aired on all major networks, national and local news and made the late night show rounds as well.

We met behind Pack & Paddle at 8am, our group consisted of Glenn and I, Anne and Steve, a couple from Atlanta, Peter and Helena, siblings from Lafayette and Mandeville, and Dean, a long time friend of Pack and Paddle. We convoyed to Chico State Park and put in at the North Landing. We traversed the thick cypress forest on the north end of the lake and followed the markings to our canoe-only campsite where we set up our tents and had lunch.

We then headed out to explore Walker Branch’s secret spot. We could not find the path through the trees that I used the last time I was here, so we headed directly into the dense stand of cypress sometimes using our hands to pull ourselves past and between the trees.  It was slow going, involving some retracing of our path, but this ended up being to our benefit because we found wonderful pockets of 80+ years old cypress that were surrounded by rings of 20ish year old cypress. It was amazing to me because there was no growth under the spread of the old branches, just open water, then the rings of the young cypress arrayed in almost perfect circles.  I thought that these young cypress could have been offspring of the mature cypress but then why wasn’t there any cypress beneath the mature cypress.  Seeds fall beneath and around the tree, not just beyond the reach of its branches leaving this ring of open water beneath the mature tree.  After the trip, I ended up calling a friend and manager of the LA State Arboretum, now located in Chicot SP.  I told Jim what I saw and what I thought.  He said the lake was drained about 30 years ago and not refilled for about 5 years.  I said, that explains it all.  The seeds fell from the mature cypress, saplings came up under and around the mature cypress.  Those under the shade of the mature cypress did not grow as quickly as those receiving direct sunlight.  When the water was returned to the lake, those in the shade were drowned, leaving only the faster growing cypress in sunlight, hence the circle of young cypress outside of the shade of the mature cypress. We laughed at our original puzzlement and then accepted our new explanation as probable.

After we made our way out of the secret spot, we headed back across the open water of the lake toward our camp. On the way, we saw a peregrine falcon perched atop an old cypress snag, an unexpected surprise and very special indeed.  We also saw two adult and one sub-adult bald eagle flying overhead throughout the day, yet another treasure.

Before getting to our camp, we stopped at and took a short tour of Long Island. It is a canoe-in only campsite that has been developed by Lafayette Paddle Club. There are two fire rings and six marked tent areas, soon to be open for public use.  We then returned to our campsite to start a fire and heat up the dinner prepared by Hub City Diner. Our guests had red beans, rice, sausage and amazing cookies. Glenn and I ate homemade chicken and okra gumbo. After dinner, we sat around the fire discussing what we had seen during the day and sharing stories about other adventure each of us had experienced.  Glenn had brought a radio and head phones to listen to the Saints’ playoff game. As the rest of us talked by the fire, he sat to the side, sharing with us occasional and alternating exclamations of dismay and joy and then sorrow as the Saints finally lost to the 49ers. Thanks to Dean for keeping us all entertained by his stories and Glenn for not only keeping us informed about the game but also entertaining us with his outbursts of exclamations.

The sky was clear, and the stars were brilliant. Our conversation and the fire slowly ebbed, and we all retired to our tents for the evening. In the morning, we awoke to a warm fire started by Dean, the early riser. After coffee and a breakfast of eggs, bacon, and hash browns, we packed up our tents and gear and prepared to leave. Before pushing off, Anne, Helena and I decided to greet the day and say good bye to our camp with a bit of yoga.  The guys decided to sit this one out but did agree to photos of their version of yoga.

A comfortable paddle back to the north landing ended our venture. The small number in our group allowed for good conversation and the beginning of friendships. After packing up our vehicles, we bid our farewells awaiting adventures of another day.

-Stacey Scarce, Trip Leader

To view all the photos from this trip, click here!!

Here’s some of the vendors that will be in attendance:

Adventure Seminars:
While you are visiting the expo, you can participate in one of our great seminars.  These seminars will focus on “how to” or “where to go”.  We’re still formulating the seminar outline, but here’s a few of the possible things we’ll host:

Natural/Barefoot Running Seminar
Kayak Fishing Seminar
Outdoor Cooking Seminar
Great Hikes in Louisiana Seminar

Stay tuned for a complete listing of seminars and seminar times – coming soon!

The first thing I love about Asiemut is that everything about the project of the trip and the making of the film seems to be pure adventure.  This is the first bicycle tour for the film makers as well as their first film to make.  Anytime you are doing things for the first time – it’s an adventure.  All of this together?  And on the scale that they took on?  Wow!

I also loved the way that Melanie and Olivier showed all the aspects of adventure throughout the film:  The high points and the low points are shown with an honesty and a realness that is very special.  On very long journeys that are physically demanding, there inevitably comes times that make you wonder why you ever attempted the trip and what your motivations are with the trip.  Melanie and Olivier show this side of adventure without pretense or bravado.  There’s a scene in the film that even after seeing the film 4 times, I still tear up when watching it.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The beauty of the surroundings in the film are amazing.  The Himalayas, the Mongolian plains, the huge passes of Tibet, the Taklamakan desert.  Wow – the scenery in this film is truly, truly amazing.

The other side of this film that I love is how it inspires you to be a “citizen of the world”.  By bicycling, Olivier and Melanie were able to integrate with the people that lived along the path that they rode.  The film me think about my place in the world and inspired me to want to experience it.

My saddest note is that I won’t be here for the screening.  Becky and I will be in Salt Lake City for a trade show.  I would have loved to meet Olivier and Melanie.  While I am sad that I won’t be here – I am super excited that all of you will be able to meet this wonderful couple traveling all the way from Canada for the screening of their films at Cinema on the Bayou.

Be sure to join us on Thursday, January 26th at 6pm at Pack and Paddle for the screening.  Melanie and Olivier will be on hand to introduce the film, and then answer questions after the screening.  The showing is free – but we ask that you support Cinema on the Bayou with a donation when you come that night.

Several game-changing products have hit Pack & Paddle that are very useful not only for kayak fishermen – but for any paddlers wanting to attach gear to their kayaks.

The GearTrak can be mounted to almost any surface of your kayak.  Once mounted, the GearTrak creates a stable base for a variety of gear, from GPS units to Fish Finders to rod holders.

The Screwball attaches easily (without tools) to the GearTrak or to your existing track on Wilderness Systems or Native kayaks.  Once mounted to the track, you can attach any RAM rod holders, GPS holders or other accessory items quickly and easily.

The PanFish is a complete mounting system for your GoPro or other camera.  Mount the PanFish a few feet behind your seat and you can video yourself paddling through the beautiful local swamps or landing your next big Redfish.  There’s also a PanFish portrait which is a shorter version that can be mounted in front of you for a birds eye view of where you are headed in your kayak or pointed back towards you as you paddle or fish.

We’re excited to be carrying two great books by Dr. Charles Allen.  Dr. Allen is a Louisiana resident and is the author of a number of books on native plants.

Louisiana Wildflower Guide is a newly published work that covers many of the common and some uncommon or even rare wildflower species. The 251 page book will be useful in identifying plants not only in Louisiana but also throughout the southeast from Texas to the Carolinas. More than 500 color photos are included and are the culmination of the years of photography by Ken Wilson. The text is a product of the lifetime botanical quests of Dr. Charles Allen. A set of charts that will narrow down your choices by several characteristics including flower color, habitat, leaf arrangement, and leaf type will facilitate the identification of genera. Generic and species descriptions are included and are detailed enough for usefulness but not too long and cumbersome. Tips for the identification of many species are included in the descriptions. For each species, the flowering dates, habitat, and distribution are given. A glossary, plant anatomy line drawings, and index close out the book.

Did you know that the Native American Indians harvested and ate over 200 species of native plants? ‘Edible Plants of the Gulf South‘ provides a window into the culinary uses of many of the plants that grow in our forests and back yards that have long been forgotten. This easy to read reference is a must read for the organic chef, naturalists, and survival buffs! Bon appetit! Written by Dr. Charles M. Allen, PhD, Andrew W. Allen, B.S, Dr. Harry Winters, M.D.