1.5 years in canoe workshop - LIKE it!
586325
Really like this machine! After 1.5 years and lot of work on wooden canoes it makes very smooth result - all buttons work fine without any problems, dust goes out to the box attached as it should. After all sander still makes no extra noise and I've never opened it to clean inside (!) All I did - just replaced original pad with generic bought on Amazon - works fine too :) Good work, Makita!
446239
One year later, it's still in good shape, my 5-year-old granddaughter still plays with it (along with her 2-year-old brother). She was beside herself when she opened the box, I had printed up a picture of what the kitchen looked like when assembled and laid it inside. She. Went. NUTS!!! It's not terribly difficult to put together, but you might wanna hold off on doing any drankin' until it's assembled. Just a head's up that I wish someone had given me!

Yes, little boys like this as well. How cool is THAT? Hey, *real* men are handy in the kitchen! It's pretty awesome to see my grandkids playing together, cooking food for and serving each other.

The company is really good about replacing any broken parts, just call 'em up and they'll get it in the mail.
1609289
I am glad that I chose this book as a first guide having no former experience in canoe building. Full of great ideas, tips, and complete designs.
3356488
I have portage packs and dry bags of various sizes for canoeing Boundary Waters and the like but I wanted a waterproof duffel for canoeing my local creeks and rivers. I purchased the Kwik Tek Dry Pak large (70 liter) clear bag because of its low price, free Prime delivery and free returns. Only time will tell whether it withstands a summer of canoeing use and abuse but my initial impression is very positive. I subjected it to my bathtub test (three minutes completely submerged while filled to the max) and the contents were completely dry. Keeping it submerged was not an easy task as it wants to float, which is a very good thing if you're into paddle craft. After sitting in the tub for a few hours air drying, it did leave a few black marks on the bottom of the tub from the bags black molded bottom which took some scrubbing to remove. I haven't seen any further signs of stains or marks, though, and I chalk that up to the product being fresh out of the box.

I also have to give kudos to the vendor. In addition to the standard Amazon email delivery notices, I received an email from Quiver Sports that thanked me for the purchase and added, in part: When you receive your item, please take a moment to verify that it was not damaged in transit. If there is any reason that you wouldn't rate this as a 5-star experience, please let us know right away and we'll do what we can to make it right. Thats pretty classy!

The bottom line is I like this one well enough that Im ordering the XL (110 liter as well). Its hard to beat the price. Ill revise this review at the end of the summer or if the product fails.

UPDATE:  In June I led crews of inexperienced canoers on two five-day river treks. We used two Large and two X-Large Kwik Tek bags for crew gear. When the canoes dumped, which happened far too many times, the bags were completely immersed and at times subjected to some serious hydraulics.  All four withstood the abuse very well. This is not to say that none ever got any water inside.  Anyone who understands hydraulic forces knows that would be nearly impossible. But on the few occasions where water did infiltrate, it was minimal. As for my personal Kwik Tek bags, which got plenty wet but never submerged, there was not a drop inside.  So, my review remains as positive as before.  (One thing you might consider if you will be using the shoulder strap is to duct tape a cloth around it. The hand grip is padded; the shoulder strap is not.)
221381
I had my doubts. I was especially doubtful when it arrived and I saw all the pieces along with an instructional manual with no words, just pictures. Actually, that worked out pretty well. I don't like instruction manuals anyway. My wife and I spent about one full day putting this together. It has a lot of pieces but is well-engineered.

This greenhouse (6X8) is a well-designed, sturdy, attractive piece of work. The door works very well with a latch and a magnet to keep it open or closed. The vent hatch is sweet (gets really hot in the sun). I built two 7' 10" wooden work benches inside to use for my seedling trays. It has rained twice in two days and this unit is tight.

A couple of recommendations (hints) - these are included in the instructions but they bear repeating:

* Don't tighten the bolts until you are done - you will need the slack.
* If something doesn't seem to fit - don't force it. Step back and look more closely - you may find you made a mistake.
* Most of the part numbers are embossed on the pieces but not all. Also note that 996 is also 669 upside down
* If you don't love your partner or lack patience, I do not recommend building this together
* If you have a few pieces left over, I did too. Hopefully they are extras.

I recommend this unit for the price. I am 6'3" and can stand upright in the center of it - better yet, I bought a little wooden stool.

Feb. 2014 - this greenhouse has now withstood several high-wind storms (winds in excess of 50 mph with gusts 70 mph) and four feet of snow this winter! It is amazing. No a problem in any way - delighted with this purchase.
2798246
UPDATE: A year later, they're holding up just fine. We're enjoying them. No new peeling, finish looks fine for the most part. The areas that were initially peeling have gotten a bit larger, but I have come to believe this was an error in the manufacturing process (i.e. maybe those spots weren't primed or sanded properly).

===================

I'm laughing at some of the other reviews, about the instructions being vague or confusing.

The base attaches with 4 bolts, and the back attaches with 4 bolts. The most straight-forward thing you could imagine. Assembly took under 5 minutes by myself. The only tool required is a wrench or pair of pliers (a socket set is best, if you have one).

We ordered this chair because the style was very similar to ones we already have (we found an end-of-season deal for a different brand for $27 each at Target). The Strathwood Bainbridge chairs do indeed look nicer - the back is a very nice design, neat edge design, aluminum cast makes it both light and durable.

But I have 3 complaints. First, the finish is peeling off in spots, right out of the box. The Target chairs (at 1/4th the cost) are holding up great after being exposed to the elements for almost 2 years.

My 2nd complaint is the chair is a little tweaked, and doesn't quite sit straight. Not a huge deal, I can fix by bending the frame. But that leads me to the 3rd complaint - the price is just too high for something that's not perfect right out of the box.

Otherwise I think it's a beautiful chair - right size, very comfortable, ~really~ love the color. The chipped paint is on the base, covered by the cushion so not a huge deal. And I find it super comfortable for inside or outside. But with the problems I mentioned I can't bring myself to give it a full endorsement.
1877439
I have used this now for about 2 months, and I have to say I am very pleased with it. It wasn't a big deal to put it together-it's logical and if you just pay attention to the instructions, you'll have no problem. The various bolts and small pieces are encased in plastic and labeled on a cardboard panel; I suggest you take them out as needed so they aren't jumbled since they go in specific places.
The seat and rowing handle move smoothly; the resistance is created by a piston. I have found that when you first start each rowing session, the resistance is  high, but as the piston warms up from friction, it becomes appropriately resistant based on where you have it attached it on the bracket. Very easy to adjust.
There is an easy-to-use instrument panel that keeps track of time-strokes-calories.
I paid just over $85 for this rower; I think the quality is really good for that price, and I actually enjoy using it, so I've been good about exercising, and have seen measurable results in weight lose, leg strength, and arm strength. That's important; if you don't enjoy it, you won't use it, and it's a waste of money.
1880748
I will preface this review with some facts; this is the only SUP i have ever used, i've spent only about 4-5 hours on it and i am right around 190 lbs.
I do however have some experience with canoes, cheap kayaks and a great deal of experience on sailboats.

 I found the stability of this board to be perfectly manageable, had they gone any wider it would have had a negative effect on both the glide and my paddle stroke. As it is i have found it to be very comfortable and have only fallen off once on my first time out...in 8-10knots of breeze with 8" short chop while turning with what i would guess to be, very poor form. While not easy i was able to make headway into the wind prior to that, the design of this board isn't really designed to be used upwind in chop and it certainly shows. I did notice a tiny bit of flex as should be expected, but i do mean a tiny bit of flex in the chop this board is rigid enough to cut into the tops of the wave in front while the wave just previous is around the fin.
The foot pad is nice, the seams all look perfect and unlike some comparable boards the Isle has both the 3 fin set up with removable center and a bungie cord stuff holding area on the front. Versatility is a nice thing as i do plan on taking this board down some -lazy- rivers and use it for fishing. A tool less instal for the center fin would be nice, but as is it is very secure, having to keep a penny or small screwdriver around certainly isn't enough for a star removal.

Inflating this board isn't all that bad, i received a good quality, industry standard Bravo hand pump with it. It is worth noting that this is the same pump that boards which cost twice as much come with. The one time i timed it, it took me 6 minutes to inflate to 15psi, not rushing or in the best of shape. As the going gets tough, shorten the strokes and focus on using your body weight, smaller people <120lbs may have difficulty getting the board to max pressure and everyone will get a good warm up in!

The paddle is a solidly made; not all that light 2 piece aluminum shafted, telescoping handled, decent quality paddle. It certainly looks and feels durable which i like. I intentionally dropped it in the water today, tied off with a bit of line, it floated for a solid 5 minutes with the handle bobbing 5-6" up from the surface before i got bored and retrieved it. So it did seem to float. I did not feel any flex in use and it works well so far as i can tell. The plastic on the telescoping part worries me, but has yet to slip in use. This paddle could double as a weapon.

Speaking of paddling, this board paddles nicely. I had no issues with tracking and could keep the paddle on one side using a J strokes or what ever the front version is called while going in a straight line. In light air the board glides pretty well and standing up just feel so nice after years of sitting/kneeling. I had a much easier time directing this board than i ever had in the 12' rotomolded kayak i had been using, provided i acknowledge my lack of proper double paddle technique, i'm pretty sure i could win a race with myself on the Isle board. It is just smooth going on the board. I had no idea how hard i was working my body until the next day, all "good" pain from muscle soreness with not even a single whimper from my not-so-great back, ankles or knees.

All in all i love this board, as one who lives in an apartment and drives a compact car the convenience of this board is spectacular. I can get it from the car and on the water in <10minutes, back in the car afterwords in 5, drive as fast as i want where ever i want to without a worry, carry under one arm upstairs then place in a closet. I would highly recommend this to anyone who lives in apartments/dorms or barracks.

Dollar for dollar this was a great value, also this board comes with a 2 year warranty and the company maintains a brick & mortar shop.
4504781
FIRST IMPRESSIONS (1 week in):  So far we're enjoying this caddy, it's a great replacement for the standard "hanging from the shower" version and holds all of our stuff (the deep basket is wide enough to hold a full-size Dr. Bronner's soap).  It was fairly easy to put together, fit into our shower easily without having to cut any of the poles down to size, and saves a bunch of space.  I transferred the razor-holder from my last caddy as this doesn't come with one, but since they're wire baskets I assume you could attach all manner of mods to it (we attached ours with a wire tie).

As for how it holds up to rust and grime, I'll try to update in a few months, but I have high hopes for now!

EDIT JUNE 30 2017: Still working pretty well. You have to clean grime once in a great while, but it's been delightfully free of rust. HOWEVER, I have to take it down a star because one of the stents holding up one of the shelves had broken, leaving me trying to figure out how to stuff it back in and hold up the shelf. Replacements or alternatives would be appreciated.

EDIT EARLY 2018: I should have actually updated in 2017, but wanted to make sure this got out there. A basket fell down around October, and it's a bit of a pain to try getting it set up so it doesn't slip again. This isn't really a complaint, but I do warn all new purchasers to really check how the rubber collars are set, and maybe put a little putty or glue in there? It did hold up for two years so I'm still very happy with it.
4378124
I like it so much, I am beginner, But it is really good and nice paddle to start work with
841003
I have held off reviewing this boat until I had a chance to use it. The Good: My first impression was that the boat is pretty good quality.  There are lots of "D" rings to lash things to which is nice.  The wrap-around rope is very nice.  The boat is very stable and has won the approval of several local fishermen who know a great deal about boats.  I was worried how the boat would handle a 185 lb engine, Fuel tank, and battery, plus a big guy in the back.  It does very well.  One wants a good bit of weight in the front when alone, and the D rings hold the milk crate that I fill with rocks, for that purpose.  My wife and I were able to drag it back into the water, with engine and gear, several feet through the sand, after getting left high and dry by the tide.  It's a good bush rig.  The boat rides well and is stable, and handled well with 4 good size people.
The Bad:  The rear seat is too far back and interferes with the tiller handle on tight left turns, I just edge off the seat and then there's room.  The seat can and sometimes does interfere with the tiller handle when I raise and lower the engine also.  The middle seat/oar lock combination is better suited for rowing backwards than forwards.  There just isn't any seat that's located correctly for rowing, in relationship to the oarlocks. It's doable in an emergency and I didn't get this boat to row it.  The other main problem I have is that I have cavitation/aeration problems.  I can't get the boat up on plane because at about 1/3 throttle or more, I lose propulsion and the engine revs, I have to slow back down.  I haven't identified the problem yet, but I'd say it's getting the right motor setup for the boat, not a boat problem.  There were only 2 reviews to read before I purchased the boat, one was good and the other was gibberish.  Maybe I should only give it 4 stars but I'm just too darned happy with it. I'll update the review as I use it more, so far I have only 2 days experience with it in the Aleutians.
47790
I bought two books from Amazon before building my Canoe.  This one and "CanoeCraft" by Ted Moores.  This one has color pictures and very detailed descriptions.  They are both good books but this one is better.  Gil explains in detail why he makes some of the decisions that he makes.  Since everyone has an opinion on how to do things it is nice to hear why you would make certain decisions.  Included is a discussion on how to modify the designs that he includes.  I should mention there are about a dozen sets of Canoe plans included in this book.  I used the one that closest fit my needs and using his excellent instructions I modified it to perfectly suit my needs.  I never made a Canoe or any other type of boat before and I found it quite fun to make my changes.  One part that this book excels at is the making of the seats.  CanoeCraft has little on the subject.
3196465
<div id="video-block-R2U1M65C1KXPO8" class="a-section a-spacing-small a-spacing-top-mini video-block"></div><input type="hidden" name="" value="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/C1LMsHrOh2S.mp4" class="video-url"><input type="hidden" name="" value="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71d5kXlHHQS.png" class="video-slate-img-url">&nbsp;For quite some time my boyfriend and I had been looking for a tent to take with us kayaking so that we could stop along the river for a picnic.  Well, Saturday was our maiden voyage with this pop up tent and it was exactly what I was looking for!  It folds up neatly and compact so it was very easy to fit inside my kayak.  Literally all you do is take it out of the bag and the tent erects itself.  Folding it back up was quite a different experience.  I wasn't for the life of me able to figure it out and I didn't want to force it and snap the poles.  My boyfriend, however, read the "directions" which are in terrible broken English, but somehow he was able to figure them out and is now easily able to fold this up and fit it back into the bag.  It has a mesh screen on the back of the tent to allow air flow and prevent bugs.  There is no flap on the front, which would be nice since it was a bad day for bugs by the creek, but regardless, I am very happy with this.  It was also very windy and this helped to keep us out of the sun, cut down on the wind and bugs, while still being in the open and able to fully enjoy nature.  There are 6 included metal tent stakes which hold this to the ground and were very helpful since it was so windy. I was very happy to find the stakes were metal, as usually with a small tent like this they send plastic ones which break so easily.  I noticed a bunch of people had doubts that this could ever be folded back up, so I added a video of my boyfriend folding it, which takes less than 30 seconds.  Once you fold it in the right places and get the correct motions, folding it up is a breeze.  I am very happy with this product.

Disclaimer:  I received this product for free in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
266695
My 4.6 stars rounds up to 5. I had a 15-year-old pressure washer that I hadn't cranked in 8 years. I covered it with a tarp and left it outside under my deck, gas tank half-full in 2006. Needless to say, the original carburetor was a basket-case. Everest Carb Kit to-the-rescue. This kit arrived within 2 weeks directly from China, and though I had never swapped a carb before, this was so straightforward that I had almost zero difficulties. I could barely tell the difference between the original carb and components and this unit. The small-diameter fuel line in this kit was too short, and the large-diameter line to the crankcase (PCV) was not the right shape. For the fuel line, my local auto parts store sells it by the foot. For the PCV tube, I was able to use the original, as it was still in good shape. The swap took about 15 minutes, once I had the right fuel tube. Get this: No carb screw adjustments needed; engine cranked on the very first pull, sounding as good as new. Me so happy!
3438568
I bought this DIY Paracord Kit for my husband in July of 2015. Everything arrived as pictured and listed. My husband made a bracelet with it and I ordered some extra paracord from another listing so he could play some more. Smile.

He enjoyed making the one and everything else has been sitting since then. I will say it's a good value for the price and easy for anyone wanting to give it a go. He looked online for extra tips on how to make a nicely designed bracelet.

It takes a little patience but makes for good craft/ hobby time. I'm sure before we go camping, he'll be putting this set in use again. Everything seems well made.

Recommended. Uploading some photos so you can get a closer look at what was included. Hope this is helpful!
4436407
When you are a CAD draftsman you must always upgrade your softwear to keep your skills up to date. Having 12 months to pay it off was a great help. I would do it again absolutely.
2434084
We just bought our first kayaks and bought this paddle for me and my 5th grade sister. It worked well for us since we are smaller sized (I'm only 5'1) so I would be hesitant to recommend this paddle to someone larger. The splash guards also aren't the best but I Love the foam handles! I'm overall happy with this paddle as a beginner at kayaking.