How come you wound up in the drink?
I have seen only a couple of people go over and thats because they were doing the three pivots one way and three the other under a hula hoop and were trying to keep their head in the hoop.
But they forgot where the boat was and their heads were waay over the water.
Gator bait…
Mind thy head and all shall be well.
Yes you can load up gear for three months and paddle like that..or paddle like that empty.
Most people who do extended trips need a small tandem at the least to carry all the gear. If they are solo this is the best position to maintain control over the whole boat. Their boat is going to be wide enough so you cannot do cross strokes effectively. My trips are in the two to three week range so I use a dedicated solo, about 28 inches wide..so this position isnt a requirement..though I do use it for a change of pace.
Though on the Allagash you will see people soloing from the bow seat backwards. You lose some control, but the Allagash is tame enough so the penalty isnt severe.