General Trip Gear

[Clint]

So the "Blue Barrel" and the Preferred Tripping Style" threads seem to show that everyone has different ways they like to travel. In that it is slowly showing that everyone has their own way of storing their gear and in general just different types of gear for different regions. And also different skill levels. For instance I am still pretty new at tripping and still learning what to take on multiday trips.

Like I never knew people actually used a hot tent until seeing them here on CT.

Anyways, I was packing for my daughter and I annual canoe trip down the Brazos river and though I would take some pictures of my stuff and how I pack it. Plus I know some here just love my Texas 5 gallon buckets. For us I use 3- 5 gallon buckets with the screw on gamma lids. 1 for the kitchen items, 1 for all the bedding and 1 for all our clothes. This is my "Packing List":

Keys

Battery for phone

WHISTLE

CANOE

• 3-CANOE
• 6-PADDLES
• 5-PFD's
• BOW LIGHT
• REPAIR KIT

SLEEPING

• TENT
• GROUND CLOTH
• 2-SLEEPING BAGS
• 2-SLEEPING PADS
• 2-DOWN BLANKETS
• PILLOWS

CAMP

• SHOVEL
• FIRE WOOD
• 2- HEADLIGHT
• FIRST AID
• WATER FILTER
• 2-CHAIRS
• TP/PAPER TOWELS
• LIGHTER

Kitchen

• DUTCH OVEN
• SOAP/SCRUB PAD
• 20 PAPER PLATES/20 FORKS
• 5 BOWL/SPOONS
• WOOD SPOON
• WATER POT

FISHING

• 4 POLES
• TACKLE BOX
• CRATE

CLOTHES - WEATHER - HIGH 64-74, LOW 42-48 / PARTLY CLOUDY-CLOUDY
TAILWIND
2-YETI CUP



So what does everyone else use? I know that everyone's list can run from the minimalist to taking the kitchen sink. From using Blue Barrels to Hefty Trash Sacks. But it all depends on where we live, what we have, experience and many other factors. There is no right or wrong way to pack or trip.

 

[yellowcanoe]

There probably as many different gear lists as there are people.
What you are paddling is a major determinant. Portages or no? Rivers or big lakes?
Time of year? My list is way different for hot area than it is for cold rainy buggy areas.

Alot may depend on what you have already accumulated. I don't use gamma lid buckets as they are more cumbersome to portage three miles as opposed to a barrel. People do have packs that accommodate gamma lid buckets but I don't. ( both barrels and gamma lids can leak if not sealed properly!.. Found out by cross threading a gamma lid which may color my displeasure with them . This was on a portageless trip)

 

[Alan Gage]

Sleeping pad.
Sleeping bag.
Tent/Hammock (depends)
A few changes of socks
Clothes to get me through the coldest expected weather (these are also used for sleeping).
Silky Saw
Maybe a hatchet
4" sheath knife
Pocket knife
A handful of cheap bic lighters
First aid kit
Kitchen kit (stick stove, pot, pan, spoon, worn out pair of insulated leather gloves)
Food (all dry ingredients except peanut butter and oil)
Water filter bottle
Rain jacket
Camp shoes
Maps
Headlamp

I figure as long as I can remember those things then I can get by without anything else. To that I might add a few more items like books and a small piece of foam that can be sat on and probably some other small odds and ends.

Alan

 

[Clint]

Silky Saw
Alan

Thank you Alan. Nice to see what you bring.

I need to add some kind of saw to my list. I have looked at the Silky Gomboy but just haven't bought it yet. I picked up a hatchet a couple years ago and it just was not as useful as I thought it would be. Generally I take fire wood along with us. In state parks gathering fire wood is prohibited and this river that we are going to this weekend it is traveled a lot so wood can be scarce.

 

[sweeper]

There are a lot of saws I've tried Frame, Folding... I like Fiskars Pruning Saw. They work on the Pull Stroke, they don't need to be put together, come in two different sizes and they are inexpensive. It comes with a 15" or 18" blade
Every couple of years I replace it with a new one and use the old one around the house.


It comes with a plastic guard

 

[Johnny 5]

I have a comprehensive list of equipment that I refer to and modify according to trip requirements. The photos are of the equipment at different stages as I was packing my backpack for a 5 day fall canoe trip. Additional equipment that is not in the photos would be the food canister, clothing worn, and the canoe, PFD's, and paddles.

I single portage and prefer to stay on the move changing campsites often so I limit equipment to what will fit in one backpack. This has not been difficult. Even on solo trips I include what I consider luxury items such as XL full length sleeping pad, saw, screen shelter, chair, and tarp. Equipment included for a 3 day trip is often the same as for a 14 day trip except for food and fuel.

I have been gauging the tripping styles and equipment preferences of other members seeking to find common interests. It appears to me that my style is uncommon. This surprises me due to the fact of similar age and the number of soloists.

 

[Johnny 5]

I build and maintain a fire for enjoyment and atmosphere. I don't rely on fire for heat or cooking. The first camping saw I owned was a Seven saw. Recently I purchased the 2 saws in the photos. They all work well and meet my requirements but the Agawa Boreal 21 is brilliant.

 

[Clint]

I have been gauging the tripping styles and equipment preferences of other members seeking to find common interests. It appears to me that my style is uncommon. This surprises me due to the fact of similar age and the number of soloists.

If I did solo style trips I could see myself getting to this style. I like the back idea of carrying everything. And I've added the Agawa to the list of saws.

 

[Alan Gage]

I have been gauging the tripping styles and equipment preferences of other members seeking to find common interests. It appears to me that my style is uncommon. This surprises me due to the fact of similar age and the number of soloists.

There is quite a mix of styles here but overall the site has historically been geared towards traditional tripping methods and that's probably what you're tending to see. I think most members here are canoers first and backpackers not at all so there's less of a tendency to trim as much weight as possible, especially on trips where portages aren't particularly long or difficult. This group is also not as heavily gear oriented as some others.

Personally I try to watch my weight when packing for canoe trips and have pretty lightweight gear but it could be lighter. I don't have any interest in spending more money for lighter gear so I trim most of my weight by leaving things at home when I can. For a 30+ day trip I can easily fit my gear and clothing in a normal size portage pack that's about 35 pounds if I remember correctly. But the food is a separate pack (in a barrel). I don't enjoy carrying a pack and canoe at the same time and often choose to make one more portage trip unless it's a really long portage where the discomfort of carrying the canoe and pack means I can save 45 minutes or an hour.

Alan

 

[Johnny 5]

Clint, when considering the Agawa saw take into account the 3 sizes that are now available and the diameter and type of wood you intend to cut. Most appropriately sized bow saw blades will work. I purchased a fast cut blade, a multipurpose blade, and a dry wood blade for my 21 inch model. Because I use my saw mostly to cut seasoned fire wood I prefer the dry wood blade. The dry wood blade doesn't cut as fast but cuts more smoothly with less hangups.

I sewed a storage case for my saw that can be attached to the outside of my pack. I felt it would protect the saw and pack, free up space in the pack, make the saw readily accessible, and lessen the chance of my setting the saw on the ground then leaving it behind. I found the case unnecessary. The blade is fully protected when collapsed, there are no sharp edges, and it is accessible and easy to stow inside my pack.

I am no expert and you may already have fully considered these points. John

 

[Bothwell Voyageur]

Clint, what's with the paper plates?

The big advantage of a "single blade" saw compared to one with a frame is that you can slide it in between tree limbs to cut a piece of wood. Silky are definitely the best.

We have definitely been trying to merge our backpacking and paddling styles. Single pot, home made freeze dried food, simple stove etc. The big concessions to paddling are to bring a chair and camp shoes. On a long backpacking trip we'll carry a 5oz DCF tarp, padling we'll bring a larger nylon version, closer to a pound. We don't mind the extra hike on the portage, having hurt my back on a solo trip a few years ago I would rather carry two light loads than one heavy.

 

[Mason]

I'm with Alan. I have a backpacking/climbing background to rely on. For me, the same stuff (less climbing gear!) goes into the canoe, with two default luxuries--a Crazy Creek chair and a tarp (does wine count??). I've done single portages, but I miss the walking with double portages, and my body doesn't miss the added strain and probability of injury. I'm not in a hurry. On big trips (40+ days with no drops), there's no getting around triple portaging with 100 pounds of food per person, and needing gear that absolutely won't fall apart during the trip.

I enjoy seeing other's styles, especially Robin's! I think we're all having fun.

 

[Clint]

Clint, what's with the paper plates?

It's just what I use to eat off of.

 

[Bothwell Voyageur]

It's just what I use to eat off of.

I guess it saves the washing up! I guess if it's OK to burn them it's not so bad but these past couple of years we have had fire bans so you'd be stuck with carrying them around. We have a couple of Ziploc containers we use as bowls. We carry a sugar cube sized piece of fragrance free soap for washing up and washing us.

 

[goonstroke]

I like to go almost backpacker light. I don't bring any beer, wet food, axe or chair. Wine, saw and tarp are maybes. I like to have the option of single carrying even though I sometimes double if the trail is rough or the scenery is outstanding. Some of the portages I do are boring forest roads, and that's when I always single carry. I'll walk the road to Fifth Machias Lake once, but three times? No way.

When I go backpacking now the burden of the pack seems oddly light, at least for the first few miles. What isn't easy is being volume constrained, my backpack is about half the cubic of my GG #4 portage pack.

 

[scoutergriz]

Clint, what's with the paper plates?

I agree, you're going to need to wash pots and cooking utensils anyway and a couple of lexan plates and nylon forks take far less space and weight than a stack of paper plates and bag of plastic forks, that dutch oven is perfect for washing dishes in, plus, if there's a fire ban you're not stuck with a bag of food encrusted garbage that becomes the perfect critter magnet.

 

[Clint]

I guess it saves the washing up!

Yes it does do that. And I do generally burn them. This time of year we do not have any burn bans. The plasticware goes in a ziplock and gets reused. If it was just me I would use something different, more permanent and it is something that I will probably move to. But the other people that I take are usually their first time out. So I supply most of the gear. They generally have the basic tent and sleeping bag but nothing else.

And the style of trips here that I do are 99% on the river. No portages. From point A to point B. If anything I have to get out on shallow spots and guide the canoe down some areas and hop back in.

 

[Clint]

This thread is not about what I am bringing.

It is about what everyone is bringing and the different types of gear that people use. So that I and whomever can get ideas If its going to turn into lets pick apart what I am bringing then we can just delete the thread.

 

[Robin]

Good thread Clint.

On my last trip to Quebec in early Sept there where only two portages, so I brought a wood framed Byers of Maine cot. The cot was a first for me on a summer trip without the wall tent, I'm glad I did. My days on the ground are behind me so the extra weight was worth it. You can see it laying across my canoe seat. I took two Duluth Packs, the little one has my food/cooking gear and the bigger one my tent, sleeping bag clothes etc. A little on the excessive side but this far north in Sept was a first for me so I opted for comfort. It turned out to be a good choice what with the wind and rain I encountered.
Like Alan, I'm not buying new lighter gear and make do with what I have.

I have a solo tent but when the bigger Timberline works well with the cot. I use a fleece liner inside my "older not that great" down sleeping bag, keeps me warm and the bag stays clean. I even put a pad on the cot for added comfort on my hips at night. I bring an extra set of pants, shirt, 2 pair of socks, crocks (first time, I liked them), wool cap, fleece jacket, rain pants and rain jacket, gloves. PFD.



I bring two ash beavertail paddles, 2 fishing rods and a small tackle bag with lures, binocs and small camera. My Go Pro goes on the spare paddle the whole trip via a bicycle handle bar mount. I wear a pair of muck boots, here I'm drying them out after I lined the canoe down some rapids and went in too deep. I now bring that old Coleman chair, never used to bring a chair. I always bring a Snow and Neally Hudson Bay axe and Schmidt pack saw, neither is necessary with a twig stove, but I like them with me. Filet knife and pocket knife, SPOT X, spare rope/string.



I use a Littlbug twig stove unless there's a fire ban or risk of one, then I'll carry a Peak 1 stove. I carry my food in those blue and yellow Sealine bags inside my Duluth Pack. I eat pancakes/syrup/tea for breakfast, Idahoan Instant pataoes/tea for lunch and some venison jerky and Knorr pasta sides for dinner, hence the bulk. Fish if I catch them.
I use that stainless pot with two small bowls stuffed inside with a fork, spoon, soap, scotch brite pad, lighter. Cold Handle frying pan and spatula, blue metal cup, water bottle all under an old duct tape patched Campmore tarp.

 

[Johnny 5]

This thread is not about what I am bringing.

It is about what everyone is bringing and the different types of gear that people use.

In the spirit of sharing equipment ideas, here are 2 small screen shelters that I have used. Both are relatively compact and lightweight.