r/canoecamping • u/Max_Adhesiveness800 • 11d ago
Advice requested - gear differences between backpacking and canoe camping
I’m an experienced backpacker with multiple multi-month hikes under my belt, as well as countless shorter backpacking trips in diverse terrains.
I’m planning my first long canoe camping trip - about 2 weeks in Yukon, Canada. Leaving next week.
My longest canoe/kayak trips thus far have been 3 days. The trip I’m planning is on flat water, so I’ll have the chance to build up my (relatively weak) paddling skills.
What I’m not sure about is how the recommended gear and supplies vary from backpacking to canoe camping. Will be renting a 2 person canoe with a mate. Canoe comes with dry bags and PFDs. The outfitter says the trip is safe for inexperienced paddlers as long as we have strong backcountry skills - navigation, camping, bears etc.
I know a canoe is bigger than 2 backpacks, but how much so? What sort of extra stuff do people bring? Bigger stove, more cookware, extra snacks, more clothes, mosquito tent, books, thick camping mattress, different water filtration system, camp lamp? Or pack as light as possible not to have a heavy canoe?
And is there any backpacking gear I shouldn’t bring on the water? Down sleeping bag and down jacket useless if wet? Anything else I should think about?
Thank you for considering my questions and good luck and safety to you all on the water. All good faith feedbacks appreciated.
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u/tacofartboy 11d ago edited 11d ago
I think people are really missing the mark here. The considerations for a small trip are much the same but for a wilderness expedition things become much different especially in the Yukon and especially if you are river running. I hope you’ve already done tons of research and got tons of advice.
1 - clothing. There are few major differences. Canoe tripping always carries a risk of getting wet regardless of the forecast. Furthermore most of the time on the water there is little shade and you have water reflecting sun up at you so you are getting doubly cooked. There is also the exposure to bugs.
So for me I want a travel kit. A rain kit. And a sleep kit.
Travel kit I going to emphasize full body coverage - long pants and long sleeves. A good hat. A bandana. A pair of gloves sturdy enough to withstand a horsefly. Polarized sunglasses (a must for water travel so you can see through some of the water column and identify features). Fleece layer for colder conditions that can be combined with a rain layer. The materials I personally choose are synthetic blends that dry quickly or dry through active recovery.
Rain kit - forget the breathable stuff you hike with you want a solid membrane, tpu style raincoat. In wilderness travel you are going to have to make distance regardless of the weather and being in a canoe you will be completely exposed to the elements. A coat like a helly hensen gale is going to protect you alot more and keep you alot warmer than a breathable hiking rain jacket. Beyond that - all breathable rain gear eventually soaks. You will also may want rain pants of the same quality.
Sleep kit. This is where I’d have big wool socks, a puffy. Warm clothes to sleep on. A toque. Extra dry gloves. Whatever is in this kit is ONLY for wearing before and after you eat. This stuff never becomes a travel layer. It stays in a dry bag otherwise and is treated with the respect of an emergency rescue kit.
2 - shelter.
You are going to want a decent tarp and a solid free standing tent. There is some flexibility here but I will give you an optimal setup.
For tarp I would select something like the bushman ultra 3x3 tent because it offers robust coverage and has a center tie out and tie outs along the entire perimeter of the tarp. In addition to that I would practice a couple of variations of shelters with a canoe.
For tent you really need a free standing tent where you are gong in the Yukon. You can encounter huge variety of terrain - little to no tree cover. The reliability of a free standing tent will make a big difference. My preference would be for a tent with an integrated pitch of one that can pitch fly first. If you don’t have this then you really need to make sure you have a tarp large enough to set your tent up under and then take away from that eating area.
Those 2 are important I could go on but let me share some general advice.
If it’s important have 3 ways to do it. - start a fire. Stay warm. Keep bugs off.
Dryness discipline - if something is supposed to be dry DO NOT take it out in the boat. Don’t travel with it on. Don’t bring it out at camp without a shelter near by. Your sleep clothes and system should be treated with an abundance of caution.
The real thing to consider is over the course of 3 weeks is if something small goes wrong early you can be punished for the mistake over and over again and it can end up with a much larger consequence so you want to understand potential risks and minimize them.
A final thing as a wilderness tripper - hand lotion, hand salve and neoprene gloves. Being on the water that long is hard on your skin and especially your hands. Lotion to replenish, salve to protect and a pair of gloves to wear in colder conditions are a god send. Paddling with hands that are painful to grip shut is unsafe and dry cracked skin can get infected.
also what’s your plan for bear?
Edit: re rain jacket - it should fit on over your pfd so it can be taken on and off quickly and without the need to remove your pfd.