I couldn’t believe what I saw that morning during the first week of June
a few years back. My nephew’s Boy Scout troop was about to embark on a
multi day 60+ mile float trip down the Buffalo River in northwest
Arkansas. The troop had their own assortment of canoes, an impressive
blend of 15, 16 and 17 foot aluminum types. My brother had his Coleman
and two other adults who were tagging along had their 17 foot square
stern Grumman aluminum, and I was going solo in my venerable and since
retired 15 foot Coleman.
My attention was quickly drawn to one of the troop’s 15 foot canoes and
I was all but horrified at what I saw. Two adults, the smaller framed of
the two weighed in at probably 225 or 230, the larger around 250. The
larger adult sat in front and the smaller one in back and between them
was a pile of gear that rose over two feet, probably closer to three
feet, above the gunwales and completely filled the length of the canoe.
They packed a couple of large ice chests, tents, two or three large
duffle bags, lawn chairs, food boxes and cooking gear enough to feed an
army of lumber jacks …and that was just the basics. There was barely
room for the guy in back to stretch his legs forward or see over the top
of the pile. The only thing missing was Granny from the Beverly
Hillbillies sitting on top in her rocking chair. The canoe was grossly
overweight and unstable and at best only two or maybe three inches of
freeboard was left. I should have said something, but chose not to, and
when we shoved off, they didn’t go 50 feet before capsizing in calm
water. They spent more time in the water during that first day, than
floating, capsizing dozens of times and soaking what gear they didn’t
lose. By the end of the day, they were waterlogged and spent physically,
even after transferring some of their gear to mine and other more
lightly loaded canoes.
The point is this; the near disaster that occurred on that first day
could have been avoided had they followed a few basic principles of how
to load a canoe and how to prepare for a trip such as this.
Stay with me as I discuss some of the tried and trued methods gained
from over 25 years of experience. Not everyone packs the same, but there
are some basic concepts myself and my canoeing partners have developed
over the years that work very well and serve to make a trip such as this
enjoyable and safe.
A brief word about canoes is in order. They come in all sizes and
configurations, some designed for flat smooth water, and some designed
for moving water, and some designed for white water. It all depends on
the hull design. I won’t go into the details as space and scope doesn’t
allow for it, but for the purposes of this article, I will speak in
general terms. There is a wealth of information on the internet about
canoes and the various designs and I would recommend you do a little
research before embarking on your first canoe camping trip.
A 16 or 17 foot canoe is a much better choice for float camping. A
fifteen foot canoe can be used with two paddlers provided you keep the
gear to a minimum and understand the limitations of that size of boat,
but, a 15 footer is better suited as a solo camping endeavor. I canoe
camped with one for many years with few problems. Anything shorter than
a 15 footer and you are greatly limiting yourself. That doesn’t mean you
can’t use a smaller canoe, because you can, but, that also doesn’t mean
you can overload a 16 or 17 foot canoe and get away with it, because you
can’t. It just means that longer canoes have more flexibility and
generally speaking, they are a more stable platform.
Okay, having said all of that, let’s talk about gear and grub. Although
a canoe allows for more carrying capacity than a backpack, you should
think in terms of backpacking when you compile your gear, especially if
you will be traveling to a location where portaging is likely
encountered. Canoe camping should be kept as simple as possible, but
still maintain a reasonable amount of comfort and safety. If I were
allowed only one thing to say about what to leave behind, I would say,
”…Stay away from the proverbial large ice chest because you really don’t
need it and they take up a lot of room and add a lot of weight”.
I know there are countless adventurers who use one all the time, but
trust me on this one. Life is a lot simpler and easier if you leave it
behind. If food must be kept cool, opt for one of the lunch box models
to store a few eggs and/or pre-frozen bacon that should be eaten in the
first day or two. Anything longer than a couple of days and the ice
melts anyway. Eggs can be kept longer provided the air is cool and the
box is shaded. Even better, if you must have eggs, take along the
powdered variety…they really aren’t bad and don’t require refrigeration.
You can find a wide variety of food stuff at the grocery store that are
light and easy to fix and can be easily carried in a small water tight
bag, plus they are a lot less expensive than the freeze dried
backpacking meals you can buy at the outfitter stores. The “just add
water” to the Lipton Cajun Rice and Beans, or Chicken and Rice combo
packages are great. Take along a couple of ‘Chicken in a Can’ containers
and toss the contents in with the combo’s as it simmers in the pot and
you have a mighty fine meal that will easily feed two hungry adults and
serves up in just a few minutes. There are the just add water biscuits
mixes or muffin mixes or cornbread mixes that can be cooked in a small
Dutch oven over coals from a campfire or inside one of those folding
reflector ovens. A small bottle of squeeze butter and I mean to tell you
that is some good stuff eaten out on the river bank. Pancake mixes that
require only water and syrup for breakfast are really pretty good, and
lunches should be quick and easy snacks…granola, trail mix, peanut
butter and crackers, jerky, a can of tuna or chicken…you get the idea.
Get a little creative, and you can come up with some good, easily toted
meals that will feed you for several days that can be stored in a single
large zip lock bag. Remember to always pack out any trash that can’t be
burned, and burn only paper products. If you can pack it in, you can
pack it out.
Keep your camping gear to the basics. A small tent with rain fly that
will sleep two, a ground pad to cushion against the rocks and provide
some insulation, and a season appropriate sleeping bag is about all you
need for protection against the nighttime elements. Keep in mind a two
man tent really only sleeps one comfortably. The sleeping bag should be
stored in a dry bag…not a garbage bag! Garbage bags are for garbage not
sleeping bags. They will not protect your gear. I recommend you invest
in three quality dry bags which can be purchased at almost any sporting
goods store or outfitter at very reasonable prices. You need a large one
with enough capacity to stuff two sleeping bags. You will want a medium
size one for either extra clothes for the season and/or clothes –
sleeping bag combination, and a small one for personal items such as
wallets, keys, camera and things like that. The tent and ground pad can
be stored in a standard duffle bag or simply tied into the canoe and
covered with a small tarp. The idea here is to avoid duplication of
effort. Anything you can share with your partner means one less item
that has to be packed… for instance, one dry bag for both sleeping bags.
I try to keep my gear so it will fit inside two medium sized bags and
maybe one smaller bag. Winter or cold weather tripping will require some
extra clothes. Remember, before purchasing any dry bag…large bags can be
rolled down to a smaller size while smaller ones will only hold so much
and won’t get any bigger once full, and all bags, in order to remain
water tight, can only be filled to about 75 or 80 percent of capacity,
so shop accordingly.
Small portable camp stoves come in all sorts of varieties and one should
be taken along with enough fuel to last for a few days. Stay away from
the standard car camping bulky multi-burner camp stove. Again they take
up a lot space and really are not needed. A portable single burner type
can fit inside a small bag and is easily stowed. Even though I do most
of my cooking over the campfire, I usually take one of those single
burner stoves that screw into the top of a propane bottle when I go on a
float trip mainly for use when it rains. It’s a little bulkier than
other types, but it does a nice job and one full bottle of propane
conservatively used will last as much as 4 or 5 days. I find I end up
using it to fix a quick breakfast or heat up water for some coffee in
the morning or cleanup chores. A simple mess kit or even a small cast
iron skillet will work well for most cooking chores, and a small Dutch
oven is a nice luxury to take along as long as there is no portaging
required. Dutch oven cooking is an art, but some of the best biscuits
and cobblers I’ve ever tasted were cooked in a Dutch oven. A small
coffee pot is almost essential. Condiments should be kept simple. Salt
and pepper, maybe a small squeeze bottle of butter, or better yet some
of those prepackaged butter packs you get at some fast food places work
well. Syrup for hot cakes is easily toted. Top off your cooking gear
with a large wooden spoon, small spatula and a small fork and spoon, and
you should be set. All of this can be stored easily in one large zip
lock bag stuffed inside a small duffle bag. Oh yeah…if you do use a
Dutch oven or cast iron skillet…it must be seasoned properly before use
and never clean it using soapy water. One that is seasoned properly has
an almost Teflon like quality to it and can be cleaned with a simple
wiping or at most a light scrubbing with clean water.
About a water supply…Even in the backcountry, drinking creek water is a
no-no. Don’t do it without treating it first unless you want to come
down with a bad case of the Hershey Squirts. For extended trips, it is
difficult to pack all the water you might need so treated water becomes
a must. There are numerous water purifier devices available and the old
reliable iodine tablets work quite well as long as the water is
reasonably clean to start with. Take a personal canteen or water bottle
and one larger water container like a gallon jug and add to it as needed
the treated water you produce during the trip. Some people opt to tote
one of those five gallon water cans. That’s fine provided you are
willing to handle all the added weight and bulk. A good purifier is a
lot lighter and very safe. A good model that gives you a lot of bang for
the money is the Pur Hiker. I tend to use the hand pumped filtering
system to fill a gallon jug, then, I add a couple of iodine tablets.
After it sits for a while I’ll add a couple of those tablets to clear up
the water then filter it again into my canteen just to make sure. I’ve
never gotten sick doing this.
As far as canoeing gear, I prefer a wooden paddle for several reasons.
They are light, not as cold on the hands in cool weather, they respond
well and have smooth touch to them, plus they have that traditional look
about them. Even so, most any paddle will work even the newer synthetic
ones, but you have to use one that fits. I stand a little less than six
foot in height, and I use a 4 ½ foot wooden paddle. I have used 5 foot
and 4 foot paddles but the 4 ½ foot size seems to be the best
combination of length and comfort for me. If you use a paddle that is
too short, you will not be able to apply enough leverage to maneuver the
canoe easily, one that is too long and it becomes unwieldy, difficult
and cumbersome to use. Sometimes in windy conditions, a longer paddle
will provide more torque and leverage, but they are a little more
difficult to move around when you must transfer the power stroke from
one side to the other. To find the right paddle a good rule of thumb to
follow is to place the end of the paddle on the ground and if the handle
comes to about the middle of the sternum or breast bone, it should be
just about right.
I won’t go into paddle stokes and how to handle a canoe except to say
that both passengers provide steering and power. We’ve all seen a single
person effortlessly run a straight line for miles always stroking on one
side using the standard J-stroke. That kind of skill comes with practice
and time in the field. For the most part, novice paddlers and even
experienced ones will tend to swap sides on a regular basis while
paddling. One of the fallacies I have noticed that novice paddlers have
is thinking the guy in back does all the steering while the guy in front
simply provides forward motion. There are a couple of useful strokes the
front passenger can do to help steer the canoe, especially in moving
water. A front brace, which basically is locking the paddle with the
blade canted away from the side of the canoe to provide a breaking
action, or using a wide sweeping motion to one side or the other will
cause the canoe to swing in that direction. Strategically used, these
two simple strokes assist the guy in back by providing him a better
angle to make a turn more cleanly or set the canoe up for a run through
some faster moving water. The two paddlers need to work together and not
against each other. Many times I have seen two people, more often that
not a boyfriend / girlfriend or husband / wife combination, be ready to
whack the other one across the forehead with their paddle because they
were unable to work together. By the end of the day they were so
frustrated, what started out as an enjoyable outing turned into an
argument and name calling ordeal. If possible, a few practice runs on a
small calm lake will generate a lot of confidence in handling a canoe.
One more thing about canoe handling; always look ahead and anticipate
any required maneuvering before hand. A loaded canoe does not respond as
quickly as an empty one and requires more effort to turn. Watch for
submerged rocks and if you must duck under overhanging limbs, always
duck forward, never to the side, as this will almost always result in a
potential capsizing situation…and don’t grab hold of any limbs while
running through any kind of moving water. It is a quick way to take a
swim. Should you find yourself in the water, always try to place
yourself upstream from the canoe. A capsized canoe catches a lot of
water and can easily pin you in a precarious situation if you are caught
between the canoe and an obstacle.
Canoeing is a patient and relaxing sport, if you think not, then, you
miss the point all together. Unless there is a storm brewing and you
must get off the water soon, there is no hurry. Enjoy the day and slow
down, take nice and easy strokes and work together. One more thing; sit
in the middle of the seat and keep in mind where your rear end is,
especially if you sit in the front. The front seat tends to be wider and
it is easy to forget where the center of the seat is located. The rear
seat is narrower, and centering your posture is easier. Sitting off to
one side, even just a little, can throw the boat out of balance and
cause it to list to one side or another. A level canoe paddles and
tracks much more cleanly than one listing to one side.
Okay…now let’s talk about packing a canoe. Basically, just use a little
common sense. Keep the heavy stuff low and in the center of the canoe.
Avoid allowing the gear to stack higher than the gunwales of the canoe.
Leave enough leg room to allow for easy entry and exit and for a
comfortable stretch of the legs. Evenly distribute the gear so the canoe
sits level and does not list to one side. Pack gear you might need
during the day such as raingear, lunch snacks, sunscreen…things like
that…near the top.
If you paddle solo, you should move your gear more toward the bow of the
canoe using the same principles already discussed. This will make the
canoe less likely to be affected by a cross wind. That’s about all there
is. If you keep your gear to a minimum, a 16 or 17 foot and even a 15
foot canoe will handle the load with no problem. Loading and unloading
will be a breeze and will create a more relaxed experience. It is a good
idea to loosely tie in your gear to keep it from getting away should you
capsize. A rule of thumb should be to use enough rope to allow for the
lifting of a capsized canoe out of the water without having to lift all
of the gear along with it.
Remember, things not to take include large bulky ice chest, large
folding chairs, large boxes of heavy food stuffs, food that requires
refrigeration, large bulky tents, and large bulky camp stoves. You can
add to this list anything you might think of that fit into the big and
bulky category. Think portaging! Do I really want to carry this stuff by
hand across country should the need arise?
Things to consider include a small 8 or 10 inch Dutch oven or
collapsible reflector oven, a small single burner camp stove with extra
fuel bottle, one of those small collapsible chairs that fit into a light
carrying bag are nice. Seatbacks for the canoe are nice but not
absolutely necessary, but if you use one, make sure it is sturdy enough
to support your weight as you lean against it and it doesn’t dig into
your lower spine. After two or three days of that, you might find
yourself throwing it into the river. One of those large, bedlike air
mattresses is a pretty nice luxury and fold into a relatively small
package, but most require some kind of pump to inflate it, a few come
with a built in battery operated pump. A better option is one of those
self-inflating sleeping pads.
A must carry list includes, dry bags for gear and cloths, add water -
dehydrated food packages, water purifier, paddles that fit, extra
paddle, life jackets, float cushions, rain gear, wide brimmed hat, 15 –
20 foot of rope for guiding the canoe around obstacles, mess kits or
paper bowls and plates that can be burned in a campfire, matches or
lighter and personal gear enough to last the entire trip. Strive to
accomplish while packing for a trip to limit your gear to where all will
fit inside two medium sized bags and one small bag, or one medium and
one large bag.
Canoe camping is a great way to enjoy getting out into the wilds. Just
keep it simple and use a little creativity and common sense. Take a dry
run someplace like a small lake or the local camp ground with all the
gear you want to take on a float trip and see what you really use and
what you don’t use, then eliminate what you don’t use. Gear enough for
two people should fit nicely inside the dimensions of the canoe with
room to spare, but avoid allowing the gear to rise above the gunwales
after it is all loaded. If it does, you need to rethink what you are
taking. Part of the fun is the preparations before hand. Most of all, be
careful, keep it simple…then get out and enjoy yourself.
Learn a little about Keith Bridgman
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