This past spring and summer allotted a few amazing multi-day kayaking trips; rushed food buys in under 20 minutes for 3 days worth of meals, snow at the put in, sunshine at the take out, heaps of laughs in between. From Utah’s West Water to Idaho’s Wild and scenic Middle Fork of the Salmon, the Liquid Logic Flying Squirrel was my overnight compatriot. We paddled miles of flat water and non-stop Sesech backcountry class V. I cut straps off my drybags to save weight on one trip, while pulling the stern pillar and packing 24 beers and all the fresh veggies that I could find on the other just to see what the Squirrel and I could handle. The results? A good time was had by all.
Packing for overnighters can be tricky. I want my boat to handle well, but I also don’t want to skimp on the 0 degree sleeping bag and freeze my ass off every night of the trip… I also don’t want to be stone sober every night either. Nothing compares to pulling a frosty beverage wrapped in down feathers after a high water day on the South Fork Salmon.
The squirrels bulbous stern allowed me to pack it to the brim with drybags while staying afloat once headed downstream. The volume and shape of the stern, unlike the Remix, sheds water quickly and rarely gets subbed out.
However, the boat can be more sluggish to get up to speed than the faster hulls of other boats like the Remix and Large 9R when packed up.
For class III+ whitewater, I packed enough barley pops to satiate 6 happy campers for 3 days. Amongst the pack were vegetables, salami, cheese, dry clothes, a mega-mid, sleeping bag, puffy jackets, libations, ground tarp, extra shoes, and then some. With the stern pillar pulled, I had enough space to pack an extra sleeping bag and a medium sized canine if I chose to.
Passing Loon Creek , a tributary of the Middle Fork, Pat Riffie and I unloaded our boats and hiked a few miles upstream into a committing gorge. With empty boats, we proceeded to boof our brains out in what felt like the sportiest boats on the market in comparison to our fully loaded crafts.
That next morning, I proceeded to wake up at 5am and paddle nearly 60 miles to the take out through some of Idaho’s most pristine wilderness. The squirrel was an amazing vessel for each overnighter that season.
Gear Eddy 
Wow that looks great. Its those moments that make it all worth it. Thanks Dan
LikeLike