Chapter 2

Packing

Hello Constant Readers! For any of you on the edge of your seats waiting for another blog post, I apologize. This next post I intended to write was to be about my gear and packing, and it only seemed appropriate that I have my canoe before I write the post. Well, I just got the canoe this past Monday (May 24th). On top of that I’ve been leaving right after work to drive to the lake to practice with the kayaks in lieu of my canoe and driving home and making dinner. So I’ve been a little busy.

I have a confession to make. I don’t really like camping. Let me clarify, I like hiking, canoeing, an adventure, being outdoors and finding something new. But the thought of sleeping on a balloon for bed with a sock for pillow in a humid nylon bag streaked with mosquito remains streaking the walls doesn’t exactly thrill me. And forget about sleeping bags, I’m certain a morgue bag has more room, and that noise they make every time you turn over. In any case it’s always been a means to an end for me and not something to really enjoy.

Another thing I hate about tents is having to wrap them up wet, and unpack them wet. I dealt with enough of this at the summer camp I attended as a kid to have formed some sort of psychosis about sleeping in a wet tent. This led me to wondering about alternatives. The boat surely is water tight, so why not use the canoe to stay dry? I was happy to discover, this was not some fancy of mine. After some research I found this video from a Maine guide (for more ideas for a “canoe bivvy” check out here). So as unconventional as it may sound, this is the way I’ve decided to torture myself is under this contraption.

As I’m writing this I am packing up and finalizing my items. Tomorrow is the day I hit the road with my buddy to drive out to Old Forge, so there isn’t much time left for prep! Keep in mind, this section I’m doing you could probably go into a town every other night find yourself a meal at the local saloon, but with COVID restrictions still ongoing, and for matters of principal, I’m being as self reliant as possible. For those reading this to learn for their own trip, here is my list:

• Life jacket
• Paddles (one kayak paddle, and two canoe paddles)
• Large sponge (for cleaning hull between bodies of water, prevents invasive species)
• Maps
• Guidebook
• GPS (for this first leg I don’t think it is necessary but it does help with pacing)
• Sleeping bag
• 12 x 12 rain fly and stakes
• Sleeping pad
• Stove
• BIC lighter
• Knife
• Utensils
• Jugs of water
• Sunscreen
• Bug spray
• Personal toiletries
• Trowel
• Rain jacket
• Sunglasses
• Hat
• Water shoes
• Flip Flops
• Wet clothes (clothes you wear while canoeing)
• Dry clothes (when in camp)
• Mini towel
• First aid kit
• Survival blanket
• Head lamp
• Solar charger and batteries (for GPS and phone)
• Bike lock
• Bug net
• Paracord
• Trash bags and ziploc (for water proofing)
• 5 freeze dried meals (I think these will each give me 2 dinners as they’re pretty big. If it turns out I’m wrong I’ll restock in Saranac village. These are generously made and given to me by my cousin’s friend. Thanks Allie! 😀 )
• 10 lemon pepper tuna packets for lunches
• 20 bags of Quaker Oats (if you guys are reading this, make a bigger packet already would you? Those singles aren’t enough, I eat two every time!)
• 10 mini Cliff bars
• Trailmix
• Electrolyte mix packets
• Instant coffee
• Some pemmican (I’ll write a post about this and my abortive experiment)

Alright, my next post will be Sunday evening hopefully discussing the drive out and day 1 experiences! I have the WordPress app on my phone with some drafts already to be filled with content. I can’t be certain of wireless reception however, so the posts might be more intermittent. I’ll try to take some pictures to add some visual interest. Wish me luck!