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There's one more consideration to make when packing your canoe… To secure or not secure your gear to your canoe. The big canoe trip is here. You've purchased or borrowed a canoe. You are the proud owner of a turbo paddle and have a comfy, reliable life jacket. You have packed all of your "dry" gear in water-tight containers. You now have your two burner Coleman stove, the required aluminum folding chair (placed at the bottom of your canoe to keep gear off a wet canoe floor) for camp side relaxation, a day pack for your food, a satchel for cookware, and your 60-Quart Igloo ice chest (with built in wheels and handle) to pack. You certainly want to minimize the potential for having your food and gear sucked to the bottom of a lake if you dump your canoe!
There are two strategies for protecting gear loss. The first is to simply strap all gear securely into the canoe. The theory being, if you tip-over, your gear will not float away or sink. The second strategy is to use one line, attach one end to the inside of your canoe, weave the other end through handles and grips of all gear, and then tie off this end to the last piece of gear to be secured. The theory being, if you take a spill, your gear will float away in a line and make it easier to right your canoe. I use the latter method. Neither method has been proven effective by me as I've yet to dump a loaded canoe!
Part 3: Misc. Advice
Canoeing should be safe and enjoyable. The worst thing is to be ill-prepared in a rain storm, to be searching for gear at the bottom of your water-tight bag, or simply struggling to have "handy" gear handy.
Here are some tips for making any canoe trip more convenient.
Carabiners… Those round, metal clips with a spring-loaded "snapper" are ideal for attaching gear to your canoe. I take several. First, I take four or five, 8 inch stretches of nylon rope (3/8") and tie some loops around canoe grips, both sides of my seat, and around the yoke bar in the center of the canoe. I attach carabiners to small water-tight bags, my drink jug, and my gear-strapping life line and clip them to my nylon loops. Everything of importance is secured to the canoe, is within easy reach, and has a quick "un-hook" feature for easy gear access.
Block Ice… Keeping food in an ice chest sufficiently cold when on a 3 day trip is critical. Nice big chunks of ice go a long (!), longgg (!!) way. To make blocks of ice, freeze water in 2-quart plastic containers or use 1/2 gallon paper milk containers. It can take 3-4 days for your ice block to thoroughly freeze.
Freeze your food… I always bring food like shrimp, bacon, steaks, chicken and fish when I canoe-camp. To make the most of cold storage, cut meats into desired portions prior to leaving on your trip. Freeze them in individual, freezer type Zip-lock bags. Now your food generates the cold you need instead of extra ice.
Ice Chests… I always bring two ice chests when I canoe-camp. The first is an Igloo brand, 60 quart ice chest with wheels and a nice pulling handle. (It also doubles as a great camp fire seat!) When filled, I keep the lid closed with a nylon strap. My goal is to ensure that I don't lose the contents if I dump my canoe. (I figure I can always salvage the ice chest.) My second ice chest is a soft, folding one with a strap. It weighs zero and is great for keeping lunch and drinks cool on those extra day trips. PS… Open your ice chest as little as possible!
Food Preparation… Prepare food items (quantities, portions, dicing, etc.) as much as you can prior to leaving on your trip. This is a time consuming process, but it pays off big- time in terms of space saving benefits, preparation time at camp, and with having exactly what you need to cook with. Label all food items in Zip-lock bags and write cooking directions in permanent marker on those bags.
Animals want your food… Forked Lake in the Adirondacks has the wonderful feature of campsites with (CLEAN) steel food containers to protect your food from bears, rodents, etc. However, in every other campground you're on your own. If bears are not an issue, keeping food in an ice chest under the weight of a picnic table works great. Other food needs to be hung away from your cooking, sleeping and toilet areas. In many parts of the country bears are a severe problem. They learn quickly and are very smart. For this reason, take extra effort and caution to hang your food correctly. Here's how. Use 80 feet of 3/8" or 1/2" inch, BLACK nylon rope and a BLACK nylon food bag because bears don't recognize black at night. (They DO recognize white line and colored food bags.) String a rope between two trees about 15 feet above the ground. The ends of the rope should be tied to, two different trees. Once you have figured this step out, lower the rope from one end and tie our food bag to the center of the rope. Supporting the bottom of the food bag as it's being raised will make the hoisting less of a challenge. I've even used this method to hang an ice chest!
Tarps… Those blue, plastic tarps you often see are cheap, durable and come in all sorts of great sizes. Bring at least one. A tarp can be used to cover your gear when under-way, to hang at the opening of a lean-to on a gusty or rainy day, and I've even used one to protect the bottom of my canoe when pulling it up over rocks at a campsite.
Duct Tape… I know. Duct tape. It's a big joke. Unless… you need it to repair a hole in your canoe, tape the flapping sole of your sneaker or hiking boot, and repair a tear in your tent, pack, sleeping bag or jacket. Each canoe trip should have one roll to share for these types of emergencies!
Now… You possess the basics... The Definitive, In A Nut-Shell Explanation for how to Canoe-Camp! To compliment this wealth of necessary knowledge go to the next page:
"g's" Canoe-Camping Gear List for the Practical-Impaired.
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