Gear for a Solo Trip
Gear selection for tripping is as personal as a hairstyle! It is amazing listening to seasoned trippers sitting down over a mugga something and debating the pro's and con's of this piece as opposed to that, the need to carry this and why would you not bring that! My intent is not to tell you what to bring or what not to bring but to merely show you what works for me! I have spent a lot on gear that has only made it on one trip only to be tossed aside when I got home....and I have learned some hard lessons concerning gear that, once I finally got around to using it, I couldn't believe that I had gone so long without it! A great example was my experiment bringing a Coughlins folding stove rack...seemed like an awesome idea when I bought it..and I still use it for car camping... figured it would be a godsend as I would have the campstove at waist height and wouldn't be bending down all the time to prep my meals....the reality of it tho was that it was a heavy, single use piece that quickly became a pain in the behind and has not made it into my canoe since that one fateful trip! On the flipside....I never did believe in the need to carry a waterfilter until a buddy convinced me two years ago, he did so just by letting me try his MSR filter and taste the difference between that water and my tea stained, flat, boiled water....what an eye opener that day was, I bought a Katadyn filter less than two weeks after that!
The following is a selection of gear that I carry on solo canoe trips, which is a little misleading...cause this gear will also suffice for a tandem trip with the addition of one or two items! With that being said....here are my selections....
Circumstances have aligned themselves so that I have an opportunity to scoot out for a 2 or 3 day solo trip . It is April after all so the opportunity is highly dependant on Ice Out conditions. I have a couple of destinations in mind....the Haliburton Highlands,( Margaret Lake/ Little Margaret Lake/Dan Lake/Horse Lake Loop), The Kawartha Highlands, (Wolf Lake/ Crab Lake Loop) or back to the Massassauga if the Northern routes are still iced in. So that is the first step in planning a solo trip, pouring over maps, selecting a season and a destination so you have an idea what to pack for. The first piece of gear to be looked after then is the canoe itself! Checking over the boat to inspect for any damage after a long winter layoff, inspect the paddles and the pfd. Check the Marine Safety Kit to see if there is anything that needs work there. In my case then I have to make sure the"Cow" is ready to head out...The "Holy Cow Canoe" prospector to be exact. Great boat! My hats off to Stu and Gulam over at Holy Cow Canoe for a great product!
http://www.holycowcanoe.com/index.html
Next lay out all the gear you want to take...then be brutally honest with yourself, go through each and every piece and ask yourself if it is really gonna be used or needed on the trip, remember, everything that goes into your pack will eventually end up on your back...you have to carry it!
Anything that is a maybe should be left behind! You will be surprised how quickly the weight starts to add up! And on a 1500 meter portage every pound counts! This is my basic gear set, modified slightly to meet the needs of each trip!
It all starts with the pack...a good canoe pack is a must, mine is a North 49 Trekk pack. The pack should be waterproof, large enough to carry all your gear in one load, the straps need to be adjustable to distribute the weight well to avoid undue fatigue when carrying. Look for well padded shoulder straps and waist belt. Try the pack on while in the store and walk around with it for a few minutes. In the pack goes....
A Eureka Mountainpass 2XT tent...check all components of the tent, poles, fly and guy ropes for wear and tear, its a great idea to set up the tent for a few days to air it out before your trip! This is not the lightest tent you can get, at 6lbs it is actually a little heavy for solo, but I do like the extra room and head space it provides for the days when I am rain or wind bound. The two doors and two vestibules are also a big plus!
First aid kit (more on that later)
Sleeping Bag/pillow, and Thermarest sleeping pad. The sleeping bag shown is a Bass pro Oversized sleeping bag... at 5 lbs it is a very heavy peice of gear. I use this bag for the early spring and late fall trips. It is actually roomy enough for two people. During cold nights when the temps drop down to near 0 Celcious I like bieng able to snuggle down in that roomy bag and get cozy...there is nothing like a hard day paddlin and a cool spring night to knock you into dreamland in a hurry! As an added bonus it is big enough to slip my Thermarest sleeping bag inside the bag to avoid rolling off the pad at night!
Clothing pack (I'll discuss this in more detail later.)
Food Bag ( Also to be discussed in more detail later.)
Bearshield bear spray....for peace of mind from 4 leggers as well as 2 leggers!
Gerber belt knife.
Fiskars axe and Trailblazer take down buck saw. yes it is a little redundant carrying two peices of woodcutting gear, but both have their advantages and their disadvantages. I like the saw for cutting up firewood, but there is nothing like a good axe for takin clearing deadfall, or for splitting larger pieces of wood, so I carry both!
Toiletry bag (toothbrush/paste, bug dope, camp soap, and 2 extra garbage bags)
Tackle box, telescoping rod/reel combo.
MSR Blacklite cookset.
Coleman Exponent Expert stove with fuel.
Katadyn Hiker Pro water filter.
Ropes and pulley to raise the food bag into the trees away from the critters.
1 Liter Lexan water bottle.
Coffee pot, travel mug, and grill.
LED Headlamp.
A closer look at the kitchen pack....the coffee percolater is a luxury item...I love my coffee, steamin hot, strong and in large quantities! I don't bother with a plate or bowl and just eat straight from the pot on a solo! The MSR cookset bag contains two pots, a frypan, lid, potgripper, dish cloths and cutlery. There is extra room in the nested pots...I often use it to store a spice kit or some fire starter. The grill is a Purcell Trench Voyageur grill, http://www.purcelltrench.com/grills.htm made from stainless steel tubing it weighs nearly nothing but is super strong, another item I will not regret purchasing!
Keeping the gear dry is essential, especially for the sleeping gear, clothing and food. The canoe pack is water proof, but in case of a spill I store essential gear in separate waterproof dry bags. This also has the added advantage of keeping individual packs dry if I have to unload in the rain!
An extra layer of protection is added to the really true essential gear....like the toilet paper!!!!!!!!!!!!! Do not leave home without it. Ziplocks are a campers best friend when it comes to packing!
The canoe pack fully loaded! Depending on the trip and any extras I may pack, this set up weighs in usually between 35 to 50 lbs! The 35 is usually on shorter trips in warmer weather, but during the shoulder seasons, early spring and late fall, temps can range from 20c during the day down to subzero at night so I have to pack warmer (read heavier) gear during those trips.
