:I am also looking for a kayak
: that can have a portaging system designed into it. I'd have to be able to
: carry it on my back with a full backpack of gear.

There was a guy that traveled across Canada in a kayak this summer. I can't find my bookmark, but he had to portage his kayak quite a bit. He swore by these Knu-Pac systems. http://www.knupac.com

:I have noticed that there are some Minnesotans who post on here.

Ya sure, you betcha. Hey, I can poke fun because I'm Scandanavian and used to live in Minnesota.

: I have been following the building of Spidey's kayak really eagerly and have
: been possibly OVER excited about it. I am really impressed by his
: methodology (No staples.) What methodologies do you all suggest for a
: first timer? Is Spidey's approach a little bit ambitious for a first timer
: (are you a newbie spidey?) I will of course be getting the book from this
: site to help me along but I want to make use of as much current building
: innovation as possible.

Spidey is a newbie. He's building his first kayak and so am I. We both aren't using any staples and you CAN do it too. It does take longer, but I think it's worth it. If time is of the essence, then you could staple the hull (especially if you use a dark wood), and go stapleless on the deck.

Dale