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Fail-safe Canoe Camping Rules

99 (or so) Fail-safe Canoe Camping Rules (tips).

Intrepid Camper (IC) came up with the idea, offered a great many rules of her own and then challenged the QJ community to come up with the rest. The following is the results of discussing her original challenge. It's a good list and a big thanks to all who participated. Understand all the rules before you decide to break any of them.

GIVEN: There is no one set of rules that makes canoe camping fail-safe!

• GENERAL
  • Expect and plan for the worst, hope for the best. "Learn how to laugh when things get tough; especially at yourself." Above all, THINK! As soon as you stop thinking, something will happen. I've found that even if you do think...stuff happens! Murphy's Law will be in effect at all times.
  • Be willing to take advice from other seasoned paddlers. Don't let pride get in your way. You never know it all and you may have forgotten some of the things you once understood.

• PERSONAL SAFETY
  • Always use your personal flotation device.
  • Treat being tired, wet and cold (Hypothermia) as the greatest deadly sin.
  • Know your limits. Do not attempt to travel beyond your capabilities, too far, too rugged, too long.
  • Never let itinerary or time constraints drive your decision making when faced with an issue dealing with weather. Getting there late is far better than not getting there.
  • When whittling wood....ALWAYS cut AWAY from your body parts!
  • Carry a small survival kit on your person, compass, knife, signal device, food, fire, and shelter.
  • RESIST the urge... "I can hop/jump to that next rock, I know I can" ... ankles aren’t as sturdy as you think.
  • Do not get too close to animals larger than you…cow moose with calves, bears with cubs, bull moose in the fall.
  • Don't dive from shore or swim in the rapids. Tree snags hidden under water could entangled you. Think about what's below the surface when diving or jumping.
  • Don't eat wild food items unless you are sure they are safe...there are several with look-alike counterparts which are deadly.
  • Tread extremely carefully when crossing wet rocks or logs; they are very slippery.
  • Keep packs as low as possible in the canoe for better stability and less wind resistance.
  • The stern paddler gets out of the canoe first whenever possible.
  • Be kind to your canoe. It's your only ride home. When approaching a beaver dam, remember you're not paddling a teeter-totter.

• FIRES AND FOOD
  • Bring several kinds of incendiary devices, so to always be able to start a fire.
  • Have a pack of absolutely water proof matches with you and best if on your person.
  • If you bring an axe/hatchet/saw, make sure it is sharp.
  • Collect fire wood before dark and put it under the canoe or tarp at night to have dry kindling in the morning.
  • Collect some birch bark along your portages. It is easier to find there and you will always have a dry supply.
  • Try new recipes at home first before committing to take it on a trip. Nothing worse than to discover that supper is some gross concoction that no one will eat.
  • Always hang your food pack. Best to hang it somewhere the Bear is not expecting it to be…i.e. NOT above the fireplace, for example.
  • Bring extra food...just in case.
  • Double and triple bag your food stuffs.
  • Keep a clean camp, no food out or strewn on ground.
  • Do not dump garbage in the privy. (BW) Do not dump left over food or scraps in the water.
  • Use a water filter. Collect water where it is at least 3 feet deep. Never drink out of a beaver pond.
  • Always have a plan just in case that bear does come into camp. Sleep with a big solid stick, some hand sized rocks to throw, and/or pepper spray.
  • Don't forget the coffee and/or your favorite 'comfort' food.
  • When gathering and cutting wood you should wear leather gloves. Also leather gloves should be used when tending the fire.
  • Bring along a pair of safety glasses and wear them when collecting and processing firewood. Wearing safety glasses on portages is not a bad idea either.
  • Follow the recommended packing rules NO food cans or glass bottles.
  • NO FOIL in the fire pit. Take bits of foil out of fire pit and pack them out with you.
  • Don't dispose of fish guts in or near camp.

• FIRST AID
  • Know basic first aid and take along a basic first aid kit.
  • Drink plenty of water and stay hydrated.
  • Know how to identify poison ivy plants.
  • Pack good sun screen and bug repellent.
  • Wear long sleeve shirts on travel days; apply bug spray and roll down sleeves before landing at portages.
  • If you NEED lenses, take a backup pair.

• FISHING
• Bring along needle nose pliers for hook removal. Tie on a lanyard with carabineer on the loose end to clip onto a thwart. A pliers with wire cutting option could also be used to cut the barb if buried in human flesh instead of fish.
• If landing a very large fish, paddle to shore before bringing it in.
• You can filet your fish on the bottom of your overturned canoe, or on a paddle blade.
• Think about the guy in the stern when casting from the bow.
• Be aware that snapping turtles, big pike, otters and mink WILL take advantage of your fish on the stringer.

• GENERAL CREATURE COMFORTS
  • Maintain a "positive attitude" and practice “patience”.
  • Pack for all kinds of weather (hot, cold, wet, windy).
  • Make camp before supper time (4:30-5:00 pm).
  • Pack two flashlights, in case one is lost or quits; and extra batteries.
  • Bring more plastic bags than you can possibly use.
  • Repair kit to include duct tape, goop( or waterproof cement), thread, thin wire.
  • Don't skimp on the quality of paddles (and that means the plastic ones outfitters supply).
  • Wear some kind of footwear when swimming.
  • If you camp on an island, poop on the mainland. (Quetico)
  • Learn how to laugh when things get tough. Especially at yourself.
  • The stern paddler always (generally) exits the canoe first.
  • If it is safer, (due to weight or difficulty) double or triple portage. There is absolutely nothing to be gained by hurting ones self.
  • No cotton socks. At least one pair of wool socks.
  • It's better to pack 3 partial rolls of TP rather than one large one. They should be packed waterproof and in different packs. Bark, leaves, and pine needles are not good substitutes.
  • Traveling in the rain? Put two or three 2-inch diameter beaver sticks on bottom of canoe under your packs to keep them dryer.
  • Last thing you do when leaving a campsite: do a walk around. Police the area.
  • Double check at portages, that you have not left anything at beginning or end.
  • A small, closed cell foam pad can be strapped to the canoe seat for duration of trip.
  • Bring "Quality" (non-cheap) Rain gear.
  • Always maintain a DRY set of clothes in reserve.
  • Fly swatter...worth its weight in gold during ankle-biter season.
  • Night-time pee bottle should have a good cover, and be placed outside the tent. Not going out into the mosquitos in June/July IS worth it (‘specially for those of us that have to bare our butts!)
  • To help stay warm in cold weather, always change your socks and other clothes at night.
  • No whining. If nothing can be done to correct the situation there is no point to complain. Whiners are generally drowned on the spot and those that survive are not invited back.
  • PRATICE before you go! This means with new gear, new techniques (setups with that tarp), new recipes, and to get physically into condition.
  • Bandanas; truly one of the most versatile pieces of equipment you could carry. They can be used to shade your neck, your ears, wetted tie around your head or your neck for a cooling effect, as a wash cloth, dish rag, dish towel, pot grabber by folding it wrapping it around the pot and twisting the bitter ends together, a hot pad, a filter to remove sediment from water, a tourniquet, a sling, put a rock in it and toss the bear bagging rope over a tree limb, wipe sweet from the brow, use it to remove dew from your tent fly, blow your nose in it (off course after you've filtered your water).
  • Think about where you put your raingear, BEFORE you start paddling.
  • Think about putting footwear on when making a night time nature call.

   

• NAVIGATION AND COMPASS
  • Bring a compass and know how to use it. ** Take a reading BEFORE you enter the woods or begin to cross a huge expanse of water. Remember that magnetic disturbance of as much as 12 degrees exists in the BWCA and Quetico.
  • Take good maps and keep track of where you are at all times.
  • Always bring a set of maps and compass for each canoe. (Do not rely on a GPS as your only source or type of navigation tool.)
  • Always travel together and don't get too far ahead of the group.
  • Always tie your canoe to shore and to a tree when in camp.
  • Bring an extra paddle ....just in case.
  • Stick to the portage trail; use them where they begin and end. "Short cuts" may be ill-advised. We all know running rapids is dumb, but trying to go farther down or up the slow moving river to avoid portaging often leads to bushwhack, turn around or other problems.
  • A stern paddlers’ job is to 'maintain course' in an efficient manner but a good bow paddler knows they can, and should, apply steering strokes whenever they determine it's necessary.
  • Leave your route plan and day of return with your loved ones at home.
  • Run a rope through all packs and tie to thwart of canoe when worried about potential capsize or windy paddling. If you do tip over, your packs will stay with you and canoe.
  • Carry more than one Compass. Compasses do break, get miss placed / forgotten / dropped along the portage trail. Do not rely on a GPS as your only source or type of navigation tool.

   

• SHELTER
  • Do not pitch your tent under dead trees or large dead branches. Consider which way they lean and where they may land.
  • Do not pitch your tent down wind from the fire.
  • Have a dependable, water proof, rain fly packed. Don't skimp on the quality.
  • A southeast facing campsite is generally quieter for wind and weather. The worst storms approach from the southwest on hot, humid days.
  • Never camp on the highest campsite on a lake in stormy weather. The results could be “shocking”.
  • Avoid pitching your tent in a depression, a drainage valley, or a low flat spot.
  • Bring along lots of rope.
  • Don't pitch your tent under White Pines on hot summer days...they rain pitch.

   

• MISCELLANEOUS
  • Always have your jug in sight or on your person make sure your jug has an air gap. (Brandy is denser than water.)
  • Do not hide your jug too well at bedtime or it may be forgotten when breaking camp.
  • Never, ever drop your bag of weed on the portage trail,...someone else is likely to smoke it for you.
  • Don't forget the coffee, your favorite 'comfort' food or whatever it takes to turn your crank.
    
    

  Learning from another's mistake is always safer than learning from your own. Keep in mind many of the rules on this list were learned the hard way...

  More information and an introduction to canoeing and camping in
  Quetico and the BWCA For Newbies