Gear ideas needed

[Christie Ogden]

I am looking for a sample ultra light gear list for a canoe trip. We are doing a 12 day canoe trip and I want to be as light weight as we can because there are 6 of us and we have to do some portages!

[John S.]

When I paddle, it is the same as for UL backpacking (with extra attention paid to waterproofing) plus paddle specific gear. I bring my same bakpack and either cover it with a trash compacter bag or line it with one. Alternatively you could line it with a POE Pneumo LTW Dry Sack. I also have been taking an armless chair similar to the standard steel legged chairs but with no armrests. So, pick any list on the gearlist forums or in the articles. Water temps need to be considered for safety.

[Frank Deland]

Do you have a light weight paddle? Wood burning stoves are ideal for canoe camping. There are featherlight options. Check them out in "Reader Reviews". For choices of Dry Sacks, Carol Crooker reviews several models in "SpotLites". Look for a large lightweight tarp. Even if you do not sleep under a tarp, they are great to set up either for shade or to cook and stand under at your campsite in the rain. It can also be used to cover your gear in your boat. One advantage to packing gear into garbage bags is that they will float if you tie them closed. Then again, maybe you are not planning on flipping over. Granite Gear has waterproof bags, portage bags, and other canoe accessories.
http://www.granitegear.com/products/canoe_gear/portagepacks/index.html
Another article with ideas for keeping gear dry with reviews of bags:
http://jwbasecamp.com/Articles/DryGear/index.html

[s k]

Christie,

I,m curious about where/when you're tripping, or what kind of conditions you expect.

Are you planning to organize food and shelter for the group individually, by pair, en mass? Six makes for a number of possibilities!

What kind of portaging do you anticipate?

[David Noll]

Go with Cooke Custom Sewing for your packs and then just use the lightest gear you can find. If you are doing either Quietico or the BWCA a tent is a must. You also
should bring a tarp for either of those areas. Use gear
where you can put gear for two people in a pack. It also helps if the person who carries the canoe can also carry a pack at the same time. I go up to the BWCA twice a year and we always single portage. The thing to remember is that
even though you have quite a few portages you will usually
be paddling. If you want contact me and we can talk.

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