Posted: 8/8/2010 7:01:28 AM EDT
|
So I just got back from a canoe camping trip. It had been almost 18 years since I last had done something like that. We headed out in the rain but, by the time we got to the river it was just a drop or two coming down.
These are my thoughts. 1. It sucks without dry bags. I knew I should have got some as plastic Wal-Mart bags and trash bags are just not a good substitute. Wet tents, clothes, and gear are just not as nice to play with as dry gear. This got me to thinking about my BOB. I really should add a rain cover. I do have a poncho now and I do ziplok bag several items already. 2. My small TNF 2 man tent is SMALL. At 6’2” I can almost touch both ends while lying down. For one guy it is good. For my 15yo son and I it was cramped. There was not room for our gear on the inside. This is not part of my 3-day BOB but I keep thinking the 5.4 pounds is worth making room. 3. River travel is so much quicker than foot travel…and more exposed. We moved quickly with minimal effort. On the other hand, there was no hiding 99% of the time on the water. 4. Canoes allow you to move far more gear on the water. 5. Rivers can be a wealth of food if you know how to fish. My brother-in-law caught a blue gill on his first cast and had 4 fish in about 20-30 minutes. I can certainly see why population centers around the world have tended to be around waterways. |
|
Yes, it does suck without dry bags... If you line your packs with plastic bags it helps. In my experience most of the waterlogging comes not from overhead rain, but the slop in the bottom of the boat. To minimize wetting, lay a few sticks in the bottom of the boat. Better yet, make a small 'rack' of 10 or 12 1" diameter dowels or similar rods, tied about 1.5-2" apart. Lay in bottom of boat. Place small tarp on top or dowels, drop in packs, wrap tarp up like a giant burrito and tie off. Your gear will be dry in everything but a complete prolonged swamping.
Small ity bitty tents are okay but yes, they do get REALLY cramped. We use a tent for us, and the aforementioned tarp for teh gear. If you need to move a fair bit of stuff a good distance, it generally IS easier on water. Depending on the efficiency of your canoe, it can be a LOT easier. The down side is exposure. There is no hiding on a lake. We spend the last three days canoeing the St Regis canoe area in the adirondacks. Canoes and especially kayaks *(usually bright paddle blades) are easily visible from thousands of yards away. |