How To Pack For Your Fall Canoe Trip Like A Pro (Part 2: Safety) + Free Printable Checklist!
- Catherine van Warmerdam
- Sep 26, 2018
- 9 min read
Updated: Dec 15, 2018
Hello everyone!
We are back from our annual fall camping trip and I'm happy to report that we didn't forget anything on our packing list! Here is Part 2 of 6 of our Fall Canoe Trip Packing Series, Safety! Here you will find the must-have items we bring with us into the bush to stay safe.
We visited Barron Canyon in Algonquin Park, where we saw a lot of wildlife and many birds, including bald eagles, kingfishers, grey jays, and herons. The leaves have just started to turn near Petawawa, the closest town to that area of the Park. At night, we often heard artillery and machine gun fire from the nearby Petawawa Military Reserve, but in a neighbourly fashion they were quiet by 10 or 11 pm - thanks, folks!
Don't forget to check out Part 1: Shelter, Part 3: Camp Kitchen, Part 4: Personal Gear , Part 5: Fun & Adventure, and Part 6: Dog Items by clicking the links provided. You can also grab a copy of our free printable checklist.
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Part 2 of 6: Safety
Map & Map Case
Maps, obviously they are important. Although I am ashamed to admit I once did a trip with a screenshot of the Ontario Parks reservations map, I now realize that having a real map can tell you much more about the typography, portage lengths, and water conditions. We have a sealable clear plastic map case to keep our maps accessible but protected in the canoe.
Compass
A basic compass is great to bring on your trip in case you get lost. You can use your map and compass to find your bearings and hopefully back to your intended route. Fun Fact - Matthew proposed to me by setting up a compass course in the back yard...I had to find stakes with letters marked on them, which, when unscrambled, spelled 'Marry Me?'. So romantic!
Hatchet
A hatchet is a heavy item and it would be easy to leave aside…however it has many applications while camping including a tool for driving in your tent pegs, chopping large fallen wood for a fire, or making kindling. I also feel a lot more comfortable in my tent at night with a hatchet in my tent’s vestibule should a bear come sniffing around our site. (More on bear safety later!) Make sure your hatchet has a leather cover, or use duct tape to cover the blade when not in use.
Matches
Matches, as long as they are stored and packed correctly, will be useful in starting a camp stove or a cooking fire in a designated pit. I like the “strike anywhere” kind, I find you can usually just run the match along a rock or a steel fire ring to get started.
Lighter
I generally like to have multiple methods of firestarting in case conditions are tough. I have a small Ziploc with matches, a lighter, and some flint and steel.
Knife
A good knife is a bushwoman’s best friend. From filleting fish to carving marshmallow sticks to cutting rope, a knife is one of the most-used tools at camp. I love my Gerber Big Rock Camp Knife, I have the fine edge version, which is currently out of stock, but it also comes in a serrated version. The one pictured above is a sport throwing knife that Matthew forged himself - in fact, he made them for all of his groomsmen! I made the paracord grips, which can be used as rope in case of emergency. We don't use them much around the campsite, but they sure are fun to throw for target practice!
Bear Prevention
I am happy to report that I have never had a bear encounter while camping. I solemnly believe implementing a few simple bear prevention techniques can save you a lot of trouble later on!
We have several items that we use for bear prevention, including a “bear bell”– Coghlan’s Bear Bell with Magnetic Silencer. This is a bell that hangs on our food barrel, so that when we walk along a portage, we make plenty of noise. We also chatter to each other or sing to make ourselves known. Most bears will want to avoid you on a portage, especially with a big old canoe on your head! We like to stay within eyesight of each other at all times on portages, just in case.
I mentioned our food barrel - it is a blue plastic container with a harness that turns it into a backpack. We store all of our food in this container. At night, or when we leave the campsite for any length of time, we throw a rope into a tall tree and pull the barrel up, so it is hanging midair. This way, it prevents the bears from smelling the food or being able to reach it.
In case of emergency, we keep our knives readily available. At night, a hatchet always sits closeby. I’ve never used bear spray or pepper spray, but I’m curious about your thoughts on the subject!
You can learn more about bear prevention at the Ontario Bear Wise website: https://www.ontario.ca/page/prevent-bear-encounters-bear-wise
Whistle
We literally have bells and whistles! There is one on the zipper of each of our lifejackets, one in the Bail Kit, one attached to my backpack, and one integrated into the buckle of Matthew’s paracord bracelet. Whistles can be useful if you become lost or need assistance. As a former soccer coach, camp counsellor, and lifeguard I have a bit of experience with whistles. Cheap whistles will fail when you need them most, especially ones that have that little ‘pea’ inside that rattles around. When these types of whistles get wet, they stop working. That’s why I love FOX40 ‘pea-less’ whistles. The FOX40 is a Canadian invention and product, and one I am happy to recommend!
First Aid Kit
Always bring a First Aid Kit! It could save your life. My husband is a firefighter and I am a former lifeguard, so we can appreciate a well packed first aid kid when the time strikes.
Our camping kit includes the following:
small bandages
moleskin (great for hiking blisters!)
nitrile gloves
alcohol wipes
hand sanitizer
sterile bandages
triangular bandage
pins
scissors
tweezers
tape
gauze
tick remover tool
burn cream/polysporin (literally used it on our last trip)
salt (for getting rid of leeches!)
Toilet Paper
Don’t want to forget this one, folks, trust me. One roll should do two people for a week. If packing space is at a premium, remove the inner cardboard tube so you can squish the roll. Alternatively, you can wrap the toilet paper around a pencil to minimize size. Bring a Ziploc bag to keep the TP in and keep it zipped so it doesn’t get wet. Make sure to always drop your used toilet paper into the privy or bury it along with your waste.
Hand Sanitizer
I tend to keep a small container of hand sanitizer in the Ziploc as well, to keep hands clean and prevent dirty hands looking through the food barrel for soap.
Trowel
If you are camping on Crown Land or in a non-operating park, you might not have the luxury of a privy or ‘thunderbox’. In this case, you should bring a small trowel to dig a hole for your waste. Make sure to dig your holes well away from campsites, creeks, rivers, or lakes to avoid contamination.
Headlamp
A headlamp is a nice item to have at night, since it frees up your hands as opposed to carrying a flashlight. From navigating the trail to the privy at night, to checking if your food is ready, to reading in your tent, a headlamp will make your life at night much easier. I am currently using the Black Diamond Wiz headlamp, althought I particularly like the ones that have a red light function (mine doesn’t), which uses less battery and helps you to use your natural night vision – meaning that your eyes will need less time to adjust when you lie down to stargaze.
Spare Batteries
Spare batteries seem rather unnecessary until you need them! There’s nothing like having your headlamp crap out on you in the middle of your trip. They can also be used for cameras and cell phones using a power bank, if you have one.
Water Containment
I always like to have a few litres of clean water on hand. It is important to stay hydrated when you are camping, because you are active and exposed to the elements for most of the day. We both carry a 1L Nalgene Water Bottle, and often bring along a 2L Platypus Big Zip Hydration Pack. I’m considering getting a larger collapsible container for campsite use as well.
Water Treatment
As beautiful and pristine as the lakes and rivers may look, they may not be safe for you to drink. ‘Beaver Fever’,or giardia, is bacteria found in the water that can make you ill (think fever, cramping, diarrhea, etc). The good news, however, is that there are a lot of options when it comes to water treatment. We use Aqua Tabs, which are small tablets that dissolve in water. One tab will treat 1L of water. I like to fill my Nalgene water bottle in the middle of a large, deep lake and pop a tab right into it. The treatment takes about 30 minutes to work, so the water is usually ready right at the end of the next portage.
My Father-In-Law has a really neat gravity-filtration system from Katadyn. You just fill it with water and hang it from a tree. Gravity pulls the water through a special filter and cleans the water!
Alternatively, you can boil water before drinking or cooking with it to kill any bacteria.
Medications
If you take regular medication, remember to bring it along with you. It’s also a good idea to bring more than you need, in case of emergency. I have forgotten some important medications on a canoe trip before, and felt terrible the whole time. Do yourself a favour and stay healthy, bring your meds!
Allergy Pills & Painkillers
If you have allergies, the fall can be an irritating time of year (I’m looking at you, ragweed!). You might also have (surprise!) an allergic reaction to a bug bite or some other environmental factor. Pack some over-the-counter allergy meds to keep you from sneezing and swelling along the portage. Painkillers are good to have for many reasons. Haven’t worked out in a while and feeling yesterday’s hike? Did you fall on the trail and whack your knee on a rock? Having some of these meds in your pack can help you to stay on top of your game.
Sunscreen
You might think that now that the hours of sun are decreasing after the Autumn Solstice, but they are still just as strong! Make sure to wear sunscreen if you are out on the water, and to reapply after swimming. Don’t forget the back of your neck – trust me on this one – nobody likes having the yoke of a canoe resting on a sunburnt neck. My personal favourite brand is Coppertone Sport Waterproof SPF 30. It goes on smoothly, dries in quickly, and performs well even if you are sweating or swimming.
Bug Spray
In the fall, there are definitely less bugs than in the spring or summer. You might not even need to use bug spray, but it is better to have it on hand just in case. On our trip to Barron Canyon (mid-September) we didn’t encounter any mosquitos or black flies, but around dinnertime, biting flies started to swarm our ankles. A few squirts of bug spray in this area did the trick.
Duct Tape
Duct tape has a myriad of emergency uses. It can temporarily repair canoes, tarps, rain jackets, dry bags, and much more. It also makes a great waterproof bandage. Put some gauze over the wound, and a piece of duct tape shiny-side-down over it. A larger piece of duct tape (or several smaller strips) can be put over this, sticky side down, to create a seal. I used this trick on my friend Jen’s hand injury and she was able to keep it on for the whole trip, keeping her wound dry and allowing her to paddle.
Phone & Car Charger
You might not have cell service, but having a phone with you can help in case of emergency. For example, on a recent trip to the Kawartha Highlands, we locked our keys in the car and had to call CAA. If we didn’t have the phone, we would have had to walk a very long access road, find a house, and ask to use theirs. Many access points for backcountry camping do not have a park office so don’t depend on it! I like to have a car charger and USB cord in case my battery dies.
And there you have it! Part 2 of 6 of our Fall Canoe Trip Packing Series, Safety.
Don't forget to check out Part 1: Shelter, Part 3: Camp Kitchen, Part 4: Personal Gear , Part 5: Fun & Adventure, and Part 6: Dog Items by clicking the links provided. You can also grab a copy of our free printable checklist.
Are there any items I have forgotten? What do you carry with you to stay safe out there? Drop me a line in the comments section and let me know.
Happy tripping!
Catherine
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