Inchtavannach Isle, Loch Lomond

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coln18

Native
Aug 10, 2009
1,125
3
Loch Lomond, Scotland
Noticed the weather forecast this weekend was to be nice with low winds so i thought it would be too good an opportunity to miss and headed over in the canoe to Inchtavannach Isle on Loch Lomond with my 3 year old son Ross and of course, Archie the Westie. Headed out about 10.30am on the Saturday morning with conditions on the loch perfect for a wee paddle over to the islands.

This is us setting out in the Nova Craft canoe, notice wee Ross blowing the rescue whistle in the picture, did he know something i didnt lol

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Hugging the coast line of Inchtavannach, with Ben Lomond in the back ground, on the way to our campsite for the weekend, notice hes still blowing that whistle for rescue, your not getting out of canoe/camping with your old man that easy wee man lol

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Recently bought the wee man his own tiny wee paddle so he can help his weary old dad paddle those endless miles of water, only problem is, being only 3 years old the wee bugger paddles the wrong direction and actually makes it harder for me lol

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Who thinks the wee man has been watching his Uncle Jason (jag009) after a trip to the pub and a few drinks too many haha. Clearly has some learning to go with the art of camp chair balancing after a few too many fruit shoots.

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The set up for the weekend, A Bison 6/8 man tipi with Nova Craft Bob Special in front of it, woke up at 5am to find the canoe no longer there (which is a worry when on an island) but 30 feet behind the tent.......:(

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Ross developing a new Canadian Canoe technique known as the Titanic stroke, this is only a prototype and clearly has some way to go in development, i did suggest it might work better with the canoe the right way up, but you know how these 3 year olds are,, such divas lol

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You just canny wack a good run around with a stick lol

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As i said earlier, i had checked the forecast for the wind conditions this weekend and the highest they said it would get was 8mph, well at 5am this morning i found out that the bbc weather may have been economical with the truth and by 8am the tipi finally surrendered any pretence at holding off the wind gusts and meekly surrendered, with the resulting tear in the fabric and a few guy lines snapping. Having my wee 3 year old with me sure sharpened the senses and i decided that staying in a 3m high tipi in that wind wasnt a good idea, so i dropped it and made a makeshift shelter lower to the ground using the canoe and two trees with the tipi as a tarp until the wind died down and the waves receded to a more manageable level that would allow me to paddle back to the mainland, it was either that or phone Thunderbirds international rescue for help and they have still got me on a black list after me and Lady Penelope spent the weekend in a lean too shelter, so there was nothing for it but to pack up and head home lol. All in all a fantastic weekend with my little boy, not ruined at all by a bit of force 12 wind, they really do get so much more out of a weekend in the wilds than they would sitting at home staring at a tv.

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bojit

Native
Aug 7, 2010
1,173
0
56
Edinburgh
I thought the tipi would stand up to the wind a bit better than that .

Glad that all of you are alright and got back safe .

Craig....
 

coln18

Native
Aug 10, 2009
1,125
3
Loch Lomond, Scotland
It was really good in strong winds up at Loch Etive last weekend Craig, but although the wind was strong, it was the gusts coming down of the hills of Glen Luss that did the damage, but i thought it would of held up fine as well, ive sent an email of to woodlore and through them Bison to see what they say about it, as ive only had it a few weeks and its not a cheap wee halfords tent after all mate.
 

Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
38,938
4,570
S. Lanarkshire
Loch Lomond's funny that way; it can go from a flat calm to four foot high waves in minutes :sigh: Saw a 'catamaran' capsize in it once :rolleyes:

Glad you all got home safe, sorry to hear about the tipi though; I must admit I thought better of it than that.

Happy looking wee boy there :D growing up knowing what the world's really like outdoors :cool:

atb,
M
 

bojit

Native
Aug 7, 2010
1,173
0
56
Edinburgh
Hopefully you might get a replacement. .

I think Ross must have been watching uncle jason practicing how not to paddle a canoe upside down .

Craig.....
 

coln18

Native
Aug 10, 2009
1,125
3
Loch Lomond, Scotland
Loch Lomond's funny that way; it can go from a flat calm to four foot high waves in minutes :sigh: Saw a 'catamaran' capsize in it once :rolleyes:

Glad you all got home safe, sorry to hear about the tipi though; I must admit I thought better of it than that.

Happy looking wee boy there :D growing up knowing what the world's really like outdoors :cool:

atb,
M

Your so right Mary, hes only 3 years old yet has been out in the canoe over a dozen times and has wild camped a good five or six times now and you can see that he just takes it all in his stride now, doesnt worry about the dark or getting cold or dirty and always comes home with a huge smile on his face. Just as well that it works the other way round too Mary and the water can calm down really quickly or else me and wee Ross would have been sleeping under a canoe tonight lol
 

stuart f

Full Member
Jan 19, 2004
1,397
11
56
Hawick, Scottish Borders
Glad you made it back safe annd sound Col. What are you going to do about the Tipi,as i would of thought it should hold out better than that. I would get intouch with the company who sold it to you, and explain that you have only used it 3 or 4 times, that is just not right mate.

Anyway i'm glad you and the wee man had a good time. Also what gives with the canoe moving during the night?

Oh back onto the tipi situ, maybe all the alchol fumes may have had a detremental effect on the material, i'm sure Tam's no really to blame though :lmao:

I hope you get something sorted out mate.

Cheers Stuart.
 

coln18

Native
Aug 10, 2009
1,125
3
Loch Lomond, Scotland
Hopefully you might get a replacement. .

I think Ross must have been watching uncle jason practicing how not to paddle a canoe upside down .

Craig.....

Im hoping too Craig, woodlore have always been fantastic with me, but i guess i will just have to wait and see, i will let you all know how i get on with them.

I think Jason will be having words with you for that comment mate haha
 

dwardo

Bushcrafter through and through
Aug 30, 2006
6,451
475
46
Nr Chester
Nawt more fun that running round the woods with a stick in hand having a ball. Do it now my self and call it archery so as not to get picked on.
Good call on breaking camp and heading for shelter wise move. Times the boy will never forget and hope to do the same my self when he hits three.
 

coln18

Native
Aug 10, 2009
1,125
3
Loch Lomond, Scotland
Glad you made it back safe annd sound Col. What are you going to do about the Tipi,as i would of thought it should hold out better than that. I would get intouch with the company who sold it to you, and explain that you have only used it 3 or 4 times, that is just not right mate.

Anyway i'm glad you and the wee man had a good time. Also what gives with the canoe moving during the night?

Oh back onto the tipi situ, maybe all the alchol fumes may have had a detremental effect on the material, i'm sure Tam's no really to blame though :lmao:

I hope you get something sorted out mate.

Cheers Stuart.

Thanks Stuart,all safe and sound now i have already sent woodlore an email as i agree with you fully, but if that doesnt work i will take your idea up and send our Tam an invoice for it lol. As to the canoe, it really is a strange one, as it was right in front of the tent but somehow ended up 30 feet behind it without hitting it, must of been those damn Inchtavannach fairy's, had their eye on my canoe for ages mate lol
 

JAG009

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Sep 20, 2010
2,407
1
Under your floor
Looks like a top weekend Colin,, and the wee man is taking it all in his stride now ,top stuff ,,pity about the tent but ho hum and all that, I am sure they will change it for you no probs ,,if not give me their phone number I will have a word with them :argue: .........................ps top pics
 

Shewie

Mod
Mod
Dec 15, 2005
24,259
24
48
Yorkshire
Is that a Bison tipi or the Bergans Col, I have the Bergans but got it from Tamarack, I know Woodlore sell them too though.

Great piccies btw
 

coln18

Native
Aug 10, 2009
1,125
3
Loch Lomond, Scotland
Is that a Bison tipi or the Bergans Col, I have the Bergans but got it from Tamarack, I know Woodlore sell them too though.

Great piccies btw

Its a Bergans Rich, lack of sleep last night mate added to getting on a bit, Woodlore will be looking at my email, thinking, but we dont sell bison tipis lol and he want a free replacement.
 

Shewie

Mod
Mod
Dec 15, 2005
24,259
24
48
Yorkshire
Its a Bergans Rich, lack of sleep last night mate added to getting on a bit, Woodlore will be looking at my email, thinking, but we dont sell bison tipis lol and he want a free replacement.


Lol, I'm sure they'll understand

Did you have all the guys out when it ripped? I know they say you need them all out when the wind is up, only had mine out in calm weather so far so can't comment.
 

coln18

Native
Aug 10, 2009
1,125
3
Loch Lomond, Scotland
Lol, I'm sure they'll understand

Did you have all the guys out when it ripped? I know they say you need them all out when the wind is up, only had mine out in calm weather so far so can't comment.

Yeah mate, had all the guy lines on, thats probably the problem, too much tension and not enough give. By the way, whats calm weather Rich lol, Remember im from Scotland, calm weather is a fairy tale they tell us when we're kids, dont tell me its for real haha.

Took your advice ref my pm about a certain purchase as well, looking forward to it arriving (i sometimes think looking forward to the kit arriving is nearly as good as having it).
 

bojit

Native
Aug 7, 2010
1,173
0
56
Edinburgh
I'm sure he is soaking up all the valuable lessons he is being taught ,
little uns are like sponges especially when they keep jumping into the nearest body of water . :lmao:

Craig.........
 

coln18

Native
Aug 10, 2009
1,125
3
Loch Lomond, Scotland
Ross just knows greatness when he sees it :) or maybe he is taking the **** out of me what do you think :confused:

I go for taking the **** out of you Jason, although, if we're talking about the Loch Doon sinking, then he'd have to get in the queue behind big Tony, who was too busy laughing at us and looking for his camera to even think about rescuing us lol
 

Shewie

Mod
Mod
Dec 15, 2005
24,259
24
48
Yorkshire
Yeah mate, had all the guy lines on, thats probably the problem, too much tension and not enough give. By the way, whats calm weather Rich lol, Remember im from Scotland, calm weather is a fairy tale they tell us when we're kids, dont tell me its for real haha.

Took your advice ref my pm about a certain purchase as well, looking forward to it arriving (i sometimes think looking forward to the kit arriving is nearly as good as having it).

Let us know what they say bud, I'm curious as to how far I can push mine now :(

Enjoy the WBBB, I know you're gonna love it :)
 

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