gear – Page 2 – loveyourbigmuddy expeditions

Sail_Demo — Bob demonstrating how the sail works.

Greetings! Bob Bellingham from Australia, after 12 weeks paddling the Missouri River from the headwaters in Montana, stayed overnight at Cooper’s Landing last Wednesday, August 22. He is only five or six days from St. Louis, his final destination.

While we were looking at his boat and gear on the boat ramp, Tom and Tyler paddled up. They are two free-spirited 20 year-old men paddling in a canoe from Great Falls, Montana, all the way to the Gulf of Mexico.

The two, and Bob, have been leap-frogging down the river on their own individual journeys. What a nice evening sharing river stories, eating Thai food, and listening to a couple from Guatemala play music! I know, right? In Columbia, Missouri!

Earlier in the evening Tess and Zach from the Columbia Missourian, one of our local papers in town, came down to interview Bob and me. This is a nice story about Bob and his journey, and my first local press regarding my expedition. It’s pretty special. (Thank you, John Schneller)

You can find the article from Friday, August 24, here: Columbia Missourian.

Bob_Tess — L-R: Zac the photographer, Bob the paddler, Tess the writer.

A photo of me, and Bob, from the article.

Dave Miller’s book, The Complete Paddler, offers detailed planning information, which relieves me of unnecessary anxiety. I am currently absorbed in the section entitled: Clothing, Gear, Hardware, Water, Food, and Shelter. Yep, that about covers my interests right now because I need to know what I need in order to compose and mail off my sponsorship requests.

Although I just purchased a sea kayak recently, I have my heart set on the Eddyline Shasta. Andy Bugh paddled a Shasta on his Expedition4Educationtrek of the same route (all the way to the Gulf), and loved it. Bob Bellingham is currently on the river in the same boat, and likes it as well. Sea kayaks have a smaller cockpit and are quite confining.

AndyBugh_Expedition4Education — Andy Bugh & his Shasta kayak
Expedition4Education – 2011

The Shasta is a tandem kayak that can be adapted to a single seat, converting the boat into a more spacious craft for a three month solo journey. Eddyline is a family run outfit in Seattle. They recycle their scrap plastic! I am hoping they respond to my request. In the meantime, I will need to mail many more letters to kayak companies who offer a similar design.

Aside from the clothing, i.e., paddling jacket, pants, shorts, sandals, hats, shirts, and under wear, etc., Dave offers a list of gear that is extensive, but essential. From his list I will be able to direct my letters to specific potential sponsors requesting needed items for the expedition. The list is long, but kind of interesting to look at, at least for me.

Camp gear:

Tent
Plastic tarp for use as inside tent liner
Bivy bag (optional)
Extra nylon parachute cord and tent stakes
Small tube of seam sealer
Sleeping bag
Lightweight fleece bag (to be used as a liner or alone on warm nights)
Self-inflating pad with repair kit
Stove fuel
Fuel bottles
Cook kit: nesting pots
Large spoon
Large pocketknife
Biodegradable soap
Flashlight with extra batteries
Water purifier with extra filters
Small plastic shovel or toilet trowel
Small pruning shears or small machete
Clothespins and line
Water bags and bottles
Collapsible water bucket
Backpacker’s towel
Seasonings, pump-spray margarine, and small bottle of olive oil
Backpacker’s freeze-dried fare
Bag meats: tuna, chicken, salmon
Energy snacks, breakfast bars
Powdered drink mix coffee and/or tea, powdered milk/creamer/sweetener
Plastic tub of baby hand-wipes, toilet paper
Bathroom bags for areas where paddlers must manage their own waste

Miscellaneous Gear

Glasses (two pair), reading
Sunglasses (two pair)
Eyeglasses strap (
Map case for kayak deck
Waterproof watch with alarm
GPS unit with spare batteries
Marine band two-way radio with NOAA weather band (waterproof)
Dog tags with name, address, phone number, and blood type
Camera (water resistant/proof)
First-aid kit, snakebite kit
I am adding “bear spray”
Medications: antibiotics, ear drops, and eye drops
Cell phone in small dry box with charging equipment
I am adding “thin film solar panels”
Medium-sized dry box for odds and ends
Assortment of small and medium carabiner clips
Binoculars
Duct tape, tube of Goop, tube of marine hand-moldable epoxy, multipurpose tool
Dry bags for deck: light solid color, one with backpack straps
Small stainless steel thermos
Fishing pole and real, tackle including a small lure assortment, salt minnows
Extra lighters/fire starters
Life vest with compass, survival gear, small boat horn
Kayak with all the essentials: bilge pump, paddle float, sponge, bailer, throw line bag, flotation bags, and extra rope, bike cable and lock with extra keys.

Are you overwhelmed yet? Yes, I will need a bigger boat. 🙂

LoveYourBigMuddy Expedition

My name is Janet Moreland. I am a Missouri River paddler from Columbia, MO, most often found at or near Cooper's Landing, Rivermile 170.

I graduated from the University of Missouri in December 2012 with a degree in Education, and am now certified to teach middle school social studies and/or science.

In December, 2013, I completed a 3,800-mile source-to-sea solo kayak expedition from the Missouri River source at Brower's Spring, Montana, to the Gulf of Mexico. On April 24, 2013, I skied into the source at 9,000 ft. in the Centennial Mountains, and arrived via South Pass at the Gulf of Mexico on December 5, 2013. My mission included elements of empowerment, education, and environmental stewardship.

In 2016 I successfully completed a solo kayak expedition from the Mississippi River source at Lake Itasca, MN, down to the Gulf of Mexico. And, in 2017 I solo journeyed the entire Yukon River from the Llewellyn Glacier on Atlin Lake, British Columbia, to the Bering Sea at Emmonak, AK.

It is believed that I am the first person ever to successfully solo kayak, from source to sea, the three longest rivers on the North American continent.

Status Updates

The journey is not over until the mission bears fruit:
Empowerment ~ Education ~ Environment

I reached the Gulf of Mexico on December 5, 2013.

Thanks to everyone for their heartfelt support. This was OUR expedition, and for that I am grateful.

Here is a synopsis:
I completed the challenging yet successful ski into
Brower’s Spring with Norm Miller on April 24-25.

I completed three days of incredible
bike riding 100 miles from Hell Roaring Canyon
To Clark Canyon Dam.

I paddled down the Beaverhead River from Clark Canyon Dam to Twin Bridges, where the river worked me hard and I suffered two holes in my boat and a sprained wrist by the second day.

From Twin Bridges, the Beaverhead River turns into the Jefferson River, which is deeper and wider, and one of the more beautiful stretches of this journey. This leg of the journey is neatly tucked under my belt.

I arrived in Three Forks, the headwaters of the Missouri River, on Saturday, May 11, approximately 300 miles downstream from the ultimate source, Brower’s Spring.

I spent the next four months paddling down the Missouri River, stopping at my home base, Cooper’s Landing, on September 16.

My birthday on September 28 marked my arrival in St. Charles, and I paddled through the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers the next day, September 29.

Proceeding down the Mississippi River, I arrived in Memphis, TN, on October 17. Here, I took an extended break of two weeks because of a speaking engagement I flew out to in Bend, OR, at the Conservation Lands Foundation ‘Friends Rendezvous.’

November 1 found me on my way again down the Mississippi River until December 5 when I reached the Gulf of Mexico.

Oh, what a trip it was!

Then, I couldn’t leave the upper Mississippi untouched, so I paddled the whole thing in 2016, Lake Itasca to the Gulf.

Might as well make it a Triple Crown, so I paddled the Yukon River, source to sea, Llewellyn Glacier, B.C., to Emmonak, AK, at the Bering Sea in 2017!

Do what you love and love what you do.

I now want to start writing my book about paddling the Missouri-Mississppi, LoveYourBigMuddy Expedition. Stay tuned.

Every day is a new adventure! Live fast ~ Paddle slow

Tag: gear

First Press About my Expedition

Gear & Sponsorship Considerations

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