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Part 1: The 3 Essentials

Then… There's canoe camping. Man, do I love canoe camping…I

can strap all kinds of comfort gear and food into my canoe... Stuff I can't take when I backpack. Canoe trips are luxury vacations that I always (and deliberately) over-pack for.

First things first. When planning a canoe trip, the canoe seems to be a relevant piece of gear to consider. I developed three essential criteria for purchasing a canoe: low weight, anti-tippy feature, lake/camping capability.

I wanted a canoe I could pick-up without breaking myself in half. So, 60 pounds became my hard and fast weight limit. Then, I recognized the need for a canoe that did not feel or act "tippy." Finally, I wanted a "lake" canoe that would track well, carry about 1000 pounds of weight, and would have good

secondary stability for family paddling. After a considerable amount of brochure-browsing and conversations with some paddlin' buddies, I headed off to Burlington (VT) to purchase a demo (and save about $300).

I am very pleased with my Mad River Explorer (60 pounds, light fiberglass, 16'-10," and purchased in 1999 as a demo for $650 ). It has a slight rocker and keel-- Ideal for lake paddling and carrying a heavy load. Very good secondary stability. And man… Does it move quickly through the water!

Now for the paddle. For me there's only one choice: The Turbo-Paddle (AKA, bent-wood paddle). For about $55-75 you can get a light-weight, wooden dream of a stick to paddle with. Don't skimp on comfort.

Finally… The life jacket. I ALWAYS wear mine. About $80 is a

reasonable price for a good life jacket. Make sure you get one designed for

paddling-- One that has extensive cut-outs under the arm pits for paddling

motion. Mine is a compact, Lotus Designs TYPE 3 PFD. A TYPE 3 PFD is a life jacket intended for "calm" lake water activities. It is not intended to keep your head above water should you become unconscious.

Part 2: Everything Else

OK. We covered the essential paddlin' gear. Now for everything else! My philosophy about canoeing and canoe gear is two-fold. First, safety first! Don't carry more weight then your canoe is designed for. Position gear so that the total weight of your gear is dispersed in a balanced manner. Don't paddle (1) in water that has white-caps, (2) in an electrical storm or (3) when intoxicated/high. Be capable of swimming, always wear your life jacket, and place human life over the potential for losing your favorite gear. Carry a first aide kit, store an extra paddle, paddle with others, take a map, and have some understanding about the region you are canoeing. Finally, tell someone where you are canoeing, the approximate date/time you will be returning, and steps to take if you're not heard from with-in a reasonable amount of time from check-in" time.

Secondly, pack all gear as if you intend to dump your canoe. This means water-proofed containers for the stuff that must stay dry… Like your clothes, cell phones, cameras, sleeping bag, wallet, etc.

When it comes to waterproof containers, you have some options. For

the first year or so, I packed all "dry" gear in Zip-lock bags, packed in 3-ply garbage bags, and then stuffed in a backpack or nylon bag. This technique gave way to purchasing the more efficient, practical and effective water/air-tight gear bags. They come in all sizes and shapes. Some are clear or have plastic windows for identifying the gear contained in the bags. Some have shoulder straps for portaging. Normal size gear bags are about 55 HD and cost about $35-45. The size of these bags are deceivingly large looking. Remember, water-tight bags rely on 3-4 folds at the opening to securely keep water out.

Many canoers have large, bulky sleeping bags. And for these folks, I'd

recommend two 55 HD sized bags-- One for their sleeping bag and tent and one for everything else! My "dry" gear keeps getting smaller and lighter as I purchase replacement gear, and now I use only one 55 HD bag. However, I've purchased a couple of clear, 1-quart water-tight bags. These are great for storing cameras, binoculars, a handy first aide kit, etc. I clip them to my seat or canoe hand grip for easy access.

There is one little problem with using water-tight bags. When you store clothing you have previously worn, damp or wet gear in a water/air-tight

container, moisture from this gear will heat-up in these sealed ecosystems and disperses moisture throughout your dry clothing. On multiple day trips this will be a problem. Either ensure that all clothing is dry before repacking them in water/air containers, or place moisture bearing gear in plastic bags. Remember… moisture will rot your clothing. Dry it as soon as possible.