Pioneer Hybrid Pack.I've owned a #4 pack, Thwart Bag, and a tarp but pictures

Pioneer pack (green)
Simple 30 liter barrel pack
16x10 1.9 tarp (green) with ridgeline sack
14x10 1.9 tarp (yellow) with ridgeline sack
12x10 1.9 tarp (green) with ridgeline sack
Special stakes
1 pole for tarp set-up
4 small stuff sacks I use for organizing food (red, green, blue, yellow)

I have so much, that this post would look like a mosaic.

Same and happy about that fact!

Pioneer pack by canoe on Ensign Lake.


Rain Tarp at West Pike.

I'm packing for a two week solo in Wabakimi next week. Packing my packs, my canoe cover, my tarp - all of it CCS. It took on a whole new level of significance last night. Prayers for you, Dan. And gratitude for your persistent belief in me.

Best photo I could find of a CCS Tundra Tarp.


Two Pioneer packs in the canoe for eight days across Quetico.


Van full of CCS packs, headed to Quetico.


No photo of my rucksack, utensil roll, map case and seat cushions. Dan also made us a custom-sized tarp that we mostly use as a wind block. As important as this gear has been to us, it's worth more to us now.

Lean 2, three portage packs, barrel pack, 10x14 tarp. Dan has kept us dry and comfortable on many trips. And the packs can carry everything we need and then some. Thank you Dan for making some of the best gear out there for trips.

My wife and kids on Wisconsin River

We have 1 red Guide, 1 blue Pioneer, 2 pink Rucksacks, 1 red Wanderer, plus 3 toiletry bags that Dan gifted each of my kids when he heard that the packs for them were presents.

When I ordered my first Explorer Pack, grey was still the default color for the sides and bottom, I requested a custom black to replace the grey for my red pack. When I received it, I emailed Dan to thank him and said......"Now that is a sharp looking pack!"
Shortly afterwards by coincidence black became the default color.
:)







When I ordered my canoe cover, once again I wanted something red and black, I gave Dan leeway to design something for my sense of flair/uniqueness "Surprise me."
Of course I dug it, as a GIS/Map guy, it reminded me of a compass needle.







Cooke Custom Sewing......as an outdoorsman, how can one not take advantage of the "Custom" part? When I built my toboggan 15 years or so ago, I asked Dan to sew up some permanent straps for the sled, I wanted something that could handle the plastic Action Packer boxes that I planned on using, yet be long enough to handle bigger loads and awkward wood run loads.






Well.......gotta have a tarp pic in a CCS thread.

The last time that Dan and I crossed paths, I was on 35 in the north metro and headed up for an Oct solo trip. This was at least a half dozen years ago. As I was approaching a truck in the right lane to pass, I could tell from the stickers on the back of the truck that it was probably Dan.

As I slowly passed, canoe on top, we looked at each other and exchanged smiles and head nods.
The smile lasted on my face for a few miles because I was thinking...."Is there truly any better good omen than that for my trip?"

RIP Dan, this rock could use a lot more Dan Cooke's.
But there was the one and only Dan Cooke.

Knife Lake - Camping in comfort with a CCS Tarp.

OneMatch: "I have so much, that this post would look like a mosaic."

Excellent Jerry

First time set up of our 1.1 oz 10x14






First outing with our Pioneer packs.
The Duluth Pack has also since been retired for a third Pioneer. :)

One of many…