BEDROOM:
- Tent. It needs to be small and packable - no bigger than a couple of pillows at the most with a good fly that comes to the ground. Set up your tent before you leave and make sure there are no holes anywhere and the zippers work well. And don't forget to pack the poles.
- A groundsheet that goes under the tent. It should be a little smaller than the tent floor, so rain or snowmelt running down the side of the tent does not pour onto it, and pool under the tent.
- A dozen aluminum wire tent pegs.
- Comfortable sleeping bag. Sleep in it at least one night at home to make sure it fits, and there are no issues with it.
- Sleeping pad. i.e. Blue foam roll (cheap) or a 3/4 length Therm-a-rest.
- A very big, waterproof tarp made out of light fabric with lots of light, parachute cord or flat cord to tie it off. Keep tarp and cord in its own stuff sack. Don't us those, typically blue, plastic tarps. They will drive you nuts flapping away on a windy night.
- A very small whisk that is left in the tent vestibule to brush clothes and boots. Boots stay in the vestibule.
This is not just for comfort. Even in warm weather the ground gets cool at night and draws off all your warmth and energy. Sometimes survival depends on getting off the ground. Air mattresses are bad and even dangerous, particularly for kids as they pose a hypothermia risk. The air inside them cools right down and chills the sleeper.
KITCHEN:
- Two water filter systems. One pump and the other gravity.
- A micro-stove. (stored in the pots)
- Fuel canisters that mate with the stove.
- Nesting pots.
- Lexan serving spoon, spatula, and tongs.
- An aluminum frying pan that has a removable or folding handle.
- A sponge with an abrasive pad on it.
- A pot sack and frying pan sack which are waterproof and tough. The pot sack is to keep the creosote that builds up on the outside of the pots, in spite of your efforts to keep them clean, off the other gear.
DINING ROOM:
- Thermal coffee cup. Doubles as a soup/cereal bowl. Keeps hot drinks hot that tend to cool fast out in the open and in the wind.
- Lexan plate.
- Lexan spork or fork and spoon.
GEAR:
- 50' of quality, strong, limp and light rope. For hanging food and the unforeseen.
- Folding saw.
- Small hatchet.
- A long length of brightly colored ( so nobody garrotes themselves ) parachute cord for a clothesline. Don't bring any kind of clothes pegs. The reason it has to belong is, you double it and wist it to make a pegless clothesline.
- Waterproof map case.
- Topographical map(s).
- Compass. ( can be kept in the map case )
- Lots of extra matches in a waterproof container. i.e A Lexan jar.
FIRST AID:
- This will get its own list that will be linked here. And take a first aid course! There is no point in carrying all that stuff if you don't know what you have and what it is for.
REPAIR KIT: ( in a small stuff sack )
- duct tape. ( flatten a half used roll )
- An assortment of sewing needles in a safe needle wallet.
- A spool of tough thread.
- An awl loaded with waxed thread.
- Assorted swatches of appropriate fabrics suitable to patch a tent, tarp, pants, pack, etc no bigger than 1-foot-square. I include a swatch of tent window mesh.
- An assortment of buckles and clips that are on the packs.
- An assortment of buttons.
- An assortment of safety pins.
- A 5” length of metal tubing that can be used to temporarily patch a broken tent pole.
- Plastic grommets. ( For a temporary repair to protect the tarp or tent were the original grommets has fallen out. )
- A tube of Barge. ( Contact cement. )
- Elastic bands.
- An assortment of pull plastic ties.
- A one-foot length of insulated, heavy copper wire.
- Extra batteries. ( In a tight waterproof Lexan container. )
- Extra flashlight bulbs.
- Extra boot laces.
- A well capped pen.
CLOTHES:
Avoid cottons such as flannel or jeans.
Bring quick-drying synthetics.
Avoid dark colors, because they attract flies.
Clothes go into a dry bag ( Seal Line brand or similar ) or doubled/tripled garbage bags.
- 1 - Rain jacket/windbreaker. Waterproof/breathable are nice. For shorter trips where the weather is generally mild, you can get away with a poncho.
- 1 - Rain pants. Waterproof/breathable are nice.
- 1 - Long pants.
- 1 - Shorts or long pants with zip-off legs.
- 1 - Long sleeve shirt.
- 2 - T-shirts.
- 1 - Poly or silk long sleeve undershirt.
- 1 - Poly or silk long johns.
- 1 - Fleece jacket. Doubles as a pillow.
- 2 - Underwear. Not cotton.
- 3 - Pairs of socks. Wool or wool/something blend. 2 light pair and a heavier pair.
- 1 - Hat. I recommend a wide brim or the tops of your ears might burn.
- 1 - Pair of sturdy sports sandals. Light enough to swim in if you roll the canoe in the rapids. Comfortable around camp. Sturdy enough to wade in if we need to navigate a shallow rock garden.
- 1 - Pair of sturdy hikers. i.e. light hiking boots or approach shoes. You need good foot support while carrying heavy packs and your boat over portages. A twisted ankle can really be a problem.
PERSONAL HYGIENE:
- Tooth brush in a case
- Small toothpaste.
- A large tooth comb.
- A small plastic mirror.
1 – DAY PACK ( Keep under the seat of your canoe with your personal gear. ) containing:
- When you expect inclement weather, put your rain gear in your day pack.
- 1 ltr. water bottle.
- Bug repellent.
- Sun screen lotion.
- Lip balm.
- Enviro soap. Can get it at most camping stores. Good for skin, hair, dishes.
- Toilet paper. Flatten the roll and put it in a ziplock bag.
- Poop trowel. Small 8” plastic trowel.
- Water proof match container filled with strike anywhere wooden matches.
- Glasses with a good sturdy glass case, if you need them. I always bring an extra pair of readers.
- Any meds and basic first aid. Put in a small Seal Line or zip lock bag. I call this my scratch and dent kit.
- Anti itch pen or cream.
- Small flashlight and/or headlamp.
- Batteries. In a waterproof container.
- Cheap sunglasses. They will get scratched, bent, broken or lost.
- 1 Kerchief.
- Ladies: Your feminine hygiene products.
- Juice crystals.
- Knife. 2.5" - 5" blade. Folding or well sheathed. Actually should be on your belt while in the boat, in case you go over and get caught in the painter. It is also your eating utensil.
- A small, well-equipped multi-tool.
- Blaze tape. For when you go exploring and get off the beaten path.
- Snacks Snack bars, G.O.R.P.* Dried fruit etc.
*G.O.R.P. stands for Good Old Raisins and Peanuts. Go to a bulk food store and invent your own exotic blend.
Do not pack chocolate except Smarties and Eatmore bars, unless you have a good tight solid container. Chocolate can melt and makes a mess.
Unless you like exotic and sometimes toothsome and very large visitors in the tent, never bring food into it. Make sure the snacks come out of the daypack and go into the food barrel or the food sack that gets hung up a tree at the end of the day. Each morning make yourself an assortment of snacks stashed in a few zipper-lock bags. Put these in your day pack.
CANOE GEAR:
- A suitable canoe. Make sure you can paddle it and portage it.
- Paddles. Including an extra.
- PFD or Lifejacket.
- Whistle. Required by law, and a good idea.
- Bailer. Required by law, and a bit silly in a canoe.
- Painter.
OPTIONAL:
- Camera.
- Journal w/ pen.
- Fishing rod and reel.
- A fish filleting knife.
- Small selection of fishing lures in a small box with a good latch.
- Binoculars.
- Magnifying glass.
- Small map of the constellations.
- Bird book or plant identification book or a similar interest book.
- Book. On long journeys, where weight is critical, break a long book or two apart, so everyone can read the same ones by passing on the sections they have read.
- Haki sack, small, magnetic chess/backgammon board, playing cards. Or other small, time killer for rainy days or wilderness beach lounging.
- A piece of magnesium to start fires.
- In cool weather an extra blanket and or sleeping bag is not a bad idea. Sturdy, silver, mylar blankets ( not the flimsy emergence ones ) are great in cool weather – light and packable, yet very effective.
- An extra tarp.
- An assortment of bungee cords. A luxury as they are heavy for their bulk, but can make snapping up that tarp or battening down your tent in a storm a cinch.
- My present tent has two doors and hence an optional vestibule, which I take on long trips or late season trips.
- I have a welders glove for moving hot rocks and burning logs to accommodate pots and pans better.
- A mesh hammock that balls down to the size of a softball.
- Tiny mesh loft for the inside ceiling of the tent.
- A windproof butane lighter.
- A small LED lamp that I put in the loft to light the tent.
- A small travel clock that has a good alarm.
- A dish rag.
All of this should fit into two large canoe packs, one food barrel and a small day pack for each person.
The two large packs and barrel will fit into a 16' canoe that occupies two people. A third, if it is a child, can get comfortable on the packs and travel a long way.
Do not pack anything that is made of glass ( Dishes or containers ). They will inevitably break and are potentially dangerous.
IN CANADA, IF YOU PLAN TO FISH, ADULTS MUST HAVE A LICENSE. IF YOU ARE CAUGHT WITHOUT ONE AUTHORITIES CONFISCATE NOT ONLY THE FISHING GEAR BUT ALSO THE CANOE AND ALL THE GEAR IN IT AND REMOVE YOU FROM THE AREA. IF YOU ARE RENTING YOU HAVE TO PAY THE OUTFITTER FOR A NEW CANOE, PADDLES AND PFD AS WELL AS PAY A SUBSTANTIAL FINE TO THE GOVERNMENT. THEY WILL EVEN TAKE YOUR CAR OR MOTORHOME OR ANY OTHER VEHICLE YOU USED TO TRANSPORT THE FISHING GEAR INTO THE AREA. THIS IS NOT A TEMPORARY CONFISCATION. THEY PUT EVERYTHING UP FOR PUBLIC AUCTION. IT IS NOT WORTH IT.