Advice to 1st time wilderness canoers - what would it be? - General Advice, Suggestions & Questions

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Advice to 1st time wilderness canoers - what would it be?

(13 posts) (9 voices) Started 10 months ago by Darren Latest reply from BWCAJohn

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Darren
Member

So I'm a canoer & kayaker of twenty years and consider myself a knowledgable paddler, but I have to admit that even after my second canoe trip to the Adirondacks I still have lots to learn about the finer aspects of wilderness canoeing. Some of the BIG mistakes I made on my last weeks trip to the Adirondacks were over packing on food and clothes and bringing the wrong food that didn't pack away efficiently. Basically I could have eliminated at least 20 lbs of gear if I had put more thought into the trip.

So I'm interested to know your most important tips and suggestions for wilderness canoeing and if you were to give advice a totally inexperienced paddler setting out on his/her fist wilderness trip what would that advice be?

Darren Z

Canoe Camping Website
zapsky.com
@Moshannonfalls on Twitter

Posted 10 months ago #
Dennis
Photographer

Turn back before it's too late. ;-)

Inside the Viewfinder - My photography blog

Posted 10 months ago #
crow
Member

Heck that's a really good question!

No simple answer, but I'll have a go. A few thoughts:

- Firstly leave word with someone about where you're heading and when you expect to return, so that someone can come looking for you if you do get into trouble.

- Go with someone more experienced a few times if you can, and learn from them.

- Talk to fellow travellers and always be picking up tips and ideas. You're never to old to learn.

- Pack your boat at home first before you go, to see what you can fit. Jettison the things you don't really need, but don't ditch all the luxuries, you need some comfort out there!

- Take clothing that is warm but which dries easily. Then you won't need so many spares. You don't need to change that often in the wilderness, there's no one to smell you and you can always take a dip in the lake/river.

- Take a spare paddle. Or two.

- Take a good sleeping bag and make sure it stays dry in a good water tight dry bag.

- Don't push yourself too hard on the trip. You'll learn how much your comfortable with doing as you gain experience. Don't be afraid to pitch camp early, if you find a nice spot and if conditions are good.

- Don't be afraid to turn back, if weather/wave conditions deteriorate, or find somewhere safe to wait it out

- Take a cellphone to contact the outside world if needed.

- Don't forget the flashlight. And batteries.

- A drop of whisky (or your favourite poison) never goes amiss. :)

Probably loads more, but just a few ideas for starters...

G

Posted 10 months ago #
davyjones
Member

easy - after you are done packing, unload half of what you packed and leave it at home.

Tent, knife, water filter, lighters, duct tape, stove and fuel. (Gear)

Bisquick, flour, instant potatoes, oatmeal, peanut butter, powdered milk, mac and cheese, honey, dried beef. (food)

Everything else is just a luxury ;)

Get a food dehydrator. It's one of the greatest camping things you can buy.

Posted 10 months ago #
zakaryjohn
Member

Here's a few finer points...

I like to take a pair of those pants that zip off into shorts- saves some packing space - if only a little.

Get a Bivee Bag(not sure on spelling) It wraps around your sleeping bag to keep out moisture and then you can just sleep under a tarp...or the stars!. Leave the tent at home.

If you like fish, count on a few meals of fish and just bring a side dish for those meals.

Make sure your bag slides in and out of your canoe easily. Those packs they make that extend really far get caught on the gunnels all the time.

I am part owner/operator of a lightweight paddle and cedar strip canoe business - Sanborn Canoe Co.

I also have a blog - ScuppersWay.com

Posted 10 months ago #
crow
Member

zakaryjohn - 6 minutes ago »
Make sure your bag slides in and out of your canoe easily. Those packs they make that extend really far get caught on the gunnels all the time.

Too true!

I broke a paddle that way recently.

Posted 10 months ago #
thenaturalcapital
Member

That's funny, because I always think of canoeing as "fat" camping -- I'm willing to carry a lot more weight in a canoe than on my back. That said, a few more things I've learned that aren't on the lists above:

1) I'm going to wear the same clothes for 2-3 days in a row - it's good to have a change of dry clothes, but definitely don't need a lot.

2) Couscous is a camping wonder food - it requires very little cooking, packs easily, and saves fuel.

3) If my husband doesn't bring his fishing rod, he's going to talk about how he wishes he had for the entire trip.

Elizabeth

Posted 10 months ago #
James
Class V
I have to agree with natural, canoe camping is fat camping. You should be able to bring just about anything you want. One tip is to pack all of your gear into as few bags as possible and make sure it's all secured. Sure your cooking gear is effectively waterproof on its own and could ride in the bottom of the canoe. The problem is it's really hard to cook things if you're pans are at the bottom of the river.

When I read the title of this post I started thinking of what advice I'd give. I know Darren has a great deal of outdoor skill and I didn't assume he was asking about little nicknacks. Davy is a hard core tripper and I get the sense that if it's not uncomfortable for him then it doesn't count. I do the oposite and look at my gear and decide I do want to throw in the extra camping chair.

So here's the advice I would give to a first time wilderness paddler.
- Go with someone who knows what they're doing and learn
- Take something to start a fire with and 25' of rope.
- Scout anything you can't see a clear line from your canoe.
- When you do scout something use the 9 out of 10 rule.
The first couple are pretty straight forward. Let me explain the 9 out of 10 rule. I've been rereading The Complete Wilderness Paddler and that's where I picked up this advice. It's a great book and anyone who's going to venture into the backcountry should read it. Basically when you scout something you should ask yourself if you could run it cleanly 9 out of 10 times.

Five, seven or even eight out of ten is fine if you're out for the day playing in rapids. If you're playing and you have some friends with throw bags you can run drops that you'll feel lucky to stay dry on. In wilderness tripping we don't have this luxury. Losing a canoe on day three of a five day paddle can be disastrous. If the rapid looks like something that could cause a capsize and doesn't have a good safe pool below then portage it. If a missed stroke would wrap a canoe or gouge a whole in it then portage.

If you can scout out a clean line that you know you can run nine out of ten times then go for it and have fun.

We buy our gear at Amazon, NRS, Altrec or Rock Creek. If you're in St. Louis visit the Alpine Shop.

http://twitter.com/AdventureCanoe
Posted 10 months ago #
davyjones
Member

9 out of 10 reminds me of a trip through BWCA and Quetico. I was approching a rapid I thought I could run, but being about a week into the woods I decided to portage instead. Partway around the rapid I was kicking myself for carrying - it really didn't look bad at all. Till I got near the end. The water funneled into a narrow chute filled with rocks, and poured over a drop about 5 feet high. It was a deathtrap filled with debris and rocks, and some of the debris was an aluminium canoe, mangled around a rock. If the paddlers lived, they no doubt had a terrible walk out of the woods.

Always scout rapids. That should be advice from anyone to a beginner.

Posted 10 months ago #
Ramkitten
Member

zakaryjohn - 5 days ago »
If you like fish, count on a few meals of fish and just bring a side dish for those meals.


We wanted to do this on our latest canoe-camping trip to the Boundary Waters, where the fishing is supposed to be second to none. But I'm glad we didn't count on it and brought all of our meals. My father-in-law--who fishes a LOT--tried fishing a LOT and caught only two rather small small-mouth bass (I think they were). So I'm leary of depending on catching fish. I see it more as a treat to accompany a meal rather than a sure thing. Just sayin'.

A Trip To The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

Posted 10 months ago #
James
Class V

Kitten-
I agree...catching fish isn't a sure shot. I'd rather have some food and then a surprise batch of fish and chips if someone gets lucky. Plus not having to fish leaves more time for paddling.

-James

We buy our gear at Amazon, NRS, Altrec or Rock Creek. If you're in St. Louis visit the Alpine Shop.

http://twitter.com/AdventureCanoe

Posted 10 months ago #
zakaryjohn
Member

Maybe I should have qualified that with depending on the time of year you should count on catching fish. During prime fishing times we coulnt on fish, and during late fall and early, early spring when it's hit or miss fishing we bring more food. And this only really applies if we're taking a long trip where we want to go super light.

I am part owner/operator of a lightweight paddle and cedar strip canoe business - Sanborn Canoe Co.

I also have a blog - ScuppersWay.com

Posted 10 months ago #
BWCAJohn
uwca2gulf

One great way to keep clothes, sleeping bags and gear dry without the use of expensive dry bags is to use trash bags. The most effective way to keep water out is to gooseneck the open end and wrap it tight with a rubber band. If done correctly this should keep the gear inside dry even during a capsize. Using trash bags in conjunction with compression sacks works great.

Take extra care with your clothing so that it stays dry. Keeping dry will keep you warmer and help prevent hypothermia which is arguably the most dangerous killer in the wilderness.

One way to keep water out of the inside of your rain jacket or shell is to "river roll" it. This is accomplished by starting with the jacket zipped. Fold the sleeves over the front of the torso and start rolling from the bottom up. Stuff the torso and sleeves into the hood of the jacket until you have a tight bundle.

A good pair of rubber boots can make one much more comfortable if you are in and out of the water a lot, especially in the colder seasons. Everyone up here in Alaska wears Xtra Tuf boots. They are rock solid and get awesome grip on wet slippery rocks.

The biggest thing I can think of is this: "Plan for the worst, hope for the best". Back up your GPS with a compass and map and know how to use them. Keep a knife, matches in a waterproof container, and a signalling device on your person at all times. If you feel uncomfortable with the conditions and you are out then think about what you are doing and if the risk is worth the reward. Always wear your PFD!

A blog about my trip down the Mississippi River: http://www.uwca2gulf.blogspot.com. Follow me on twitter: http://www.twitter.com/bwcajohn

Posted 6 months ago #

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