hello all...

i will be heading up to Quetico this may with a friend of mine and his dad and some of his buddies ( they've been there many times before), and this is my first time doing something like this..... was just wondering what i should brind in terms of gear and such, i got some ideas but just wanting a little help from experienced people that have made many trips.

thanks,'
bigblue

Here is a good place to start blue.  It's a compilation of gear from all of us "experienced" folks.  Where will you be going in Quetico?

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 Click on the site map at bottom of page, and you'll find a gear maker list that will get you started.
 People choice of gear ranges from the bare minimum (even that is debatable), too the extreme in terms of comfort and convenience.
  I doubt ANY gear list would meet approval by 100% of the paddlers here :-/
  IMHO, I would say you need as a minimum, two sets of clothes, 2-3 pairs of socks, a GOOD rain suit, 2 pairs of shoes ( paddle and portage/camp), a GOOD tent, a TARP that will protect at least a couple of people or more, a DEPENDABLE stove, a few fleece/wool garments to layer as the weather dictates. A GOOD set of maps/compass, BEFORE a GPS, although you can have that if you want. A water filter and First AID kit for the you/party. Enough rope to rig tarp and canoes. Some can get by with less, most of us take more. All depends on how hard your willing too work to take the extra items many like around camp ;)
 I'd get with the "old timers" that have been there before and learn from them.
 The general rule of thumb is that you can bring as much gear as you like, as long as YOUR willing to carry it and not pawn it off on anyone else ;D

You are joining a established tripping crew.  They have a way of doing things and you should try to fit to there tripping stile at least for the first trip. You need to talk to them and ask the following.
1 Where do I pack my gear ( my own pack or do we put more than one persons gear in one pack)?
2 How many trips across a portage do each of you do?
3 How many times will we move camp ( some where between every day and never)?
4 Do they have tent space for you?
5 Do we each bring our own food? Do I bring any food?
6 Do they set a weight limit or what did your pack weigh last year?
7 How many days do you spend fishing all day?
8 How do you keep your clean clothes dry.
9
10

Can others help me with questions?

You will need to know the answer to these question to answer your question. For instant if they say they single portage you will need to slim your gear down to single ply tp because they will expect you to carry your pack and the food pack so they can carry the canoe and there gear pack.  On the other hand if they triple portage add a camp stool.

PJ’s suggested list is a good place to start.  Most people take too much. The best way to avoid this is to talk to the people you are going with. They know the type of trip they are going on.
Magicpaddler.

ditto to what Magic said - that's your start;  most likely, an experienced group will already have taken the stove, tarp, cooking gear and food into consideration (but double check that).  That would typically leave your personal stuff which may include tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, and eating utensils/cup/bowl - or that may all be part of the group gear.

PFD - you'll probably need to have your own, though a loaner will work if it fits properly.

Purely personal gear would be a complete change of clothes (double dry bagged - maybe in trash bag in a dry bag, or at least double trash bagged inside a stuff bag - I keep a small microfiber towel in with the clothes - if you need them desperately, you can dry off with the towel fisrt), one durable pair of portage boots, a second pair of shoes/boots to keep dry for around camp - should be good enough to portage in, in case pair A blow out; rain gear (good stuff, not cheap),
your toilet kt; TP, toothbrush, maybe a bit of biopdegradable soap, etc; a small first aid kit, including any medications you need (if you NEED them, then have a double set of meds, in two different packs) glasses? sunglasses probably, but if you need glasses or contacts to see, be sure to have spares as well; bug dope - double what you think you'll need, just in case; a good hat, and some type of spare hat in case hat A gets blown away; fleece jacket,
neoprene fishing gloves for paddling in cold weather, maybe a down vest packed away in case it gets really cold, or in case your sleeping bag isn't doing its job.  Typically, the last week of May could get cold enough to have frost, and could get colder - dress in layers - -  I go with polypro underwear (and a spare set included with your dry set - nice to sleep in if set A is wet or stinky), cotton chambray shirt with two button down shirt pockets for misc., polyester pants (Dickies work pants ) or nylon, somthing relatively quick drying is best, with one heavier shirt as a light jacket - either a wool shirt or a bug shirt; layered over that is a fleece jacket for around camp and early morning paddling (rare - the PFD and work keeps you warm enough), and rain gear as a final layer for warmth if needed.  Its nice to have a wool watch cap for sleeping in, and that could be handy if its really cold.
In your pockets - a compass, matches in waterproof container (at least double bagged in ziplocks) bug dope, maybe sunscreen, pocket knife - you can keep a lot of small stuff in a small fanny pack, or in the pockets of your PFD - but matches, compass, knife should be on your person at all times, regardless - I like a bandana as well.  If its hot, you can dip it and tie around your neck, or use it as a washcloth.

Add to the "must have" list above, whatever you need for fishing (we only bring one spare pole and reel for a group of 4 - depends on your group)

Booze if you want any and your group says its ok, possibly a few snack items though you should not pack them with your personal gear or keep in your tent.

Possibly some kind of chair or pad to sit on - a 1"x8"x15" garden kneeling pad weighs only a few ounces, and you can sit on it on the canoe seat if you want - strap/tie it on to the seat if you do that - drill/burn/poke a small hole to attach 4 foot of string to, so you can tie it to a rock or piece of wood to keep it from blowing away in the wind.

You might like to have a map of your own to see where you are going and where you've been - Friends of Quetico sell a reasonable map of the park (one side is about 1/4th of the park in detail, the other side is the full park at a larger scale - they are just about good enough to navigiate with)

A pack to put all that stuff in  - might be provided/loaned by the group, or not - you definitely need to knwo what volume you will have to work with.

That's what I would bring - heck, that's what I do bring.



added; to what you should keep in your pockets - a few lengths of string, maybe parachute cord - handy for tieing stuff to a thwart, or for small clothesline, or whatever;

and doh!  of course, a water bottle!

All good information, but I guess I would have started with a few basic questions ... some of which have been mention and some are very obvious.

1) time of year
2) length of trip
3) trip style (daily move to base camped)
4) portage style (single to as many as it takes)

I put time of year as the initial question because to me it has more impact on how I pack than most anything else.  Since I frequently travel in early spring (e.g., mid-May), I carry substantially more clothing than for a late summer trip.  For early season travel, I don't take any cotton clothing (the only exception might be a bandana, but even some of those are of synthetic material).  There is only one major reason for this, they don't tend to hold water and will dry more quickly that other forms of clothing.  Being wet when its cold (e.g., right after ice-out) would not be my first choice and that is a HUGE reason for taking a "backup" set of clothing, even on a short trip.  Otherwise, you can wear your clothes as long as your trip mates can tolerate you. (However, I find I do sleep better if I'll at least do a rinse--if not a head to toe bath--during a 2-week trip.  I do try to do that on a slack-wind day when the temp's get out of the 40's.)

Along these same lines, I'm likely to take a fleece vest or early season warmth, rather than down.  Wet down takes a long time to dry and doesn't produce the desired effect when wet.

All this said, if I'm traveling mid- to late-summer, much of the synthetic clothing is ditched in favor of more confortable wear (e.g., a fair amount of cotton...especially t-shirts).

Keep in mind, these are personal preference ... but with some reason behind the choices.  Some folks are just find with blue jeans and cotton shirts whenever they trip.  But I'm just a dumb southern boy that takes hypothermia somewhat seriously.  (My "swim" on last year's May trip simply reinforced that a bit.)

dd

I'll throw one idea out there.  After asking your crew about its tripping syle (which was a very good suggestion), break your clothes down into 2 parts:  the part that you know is going to get wet, and the part that you absolutely know you need to keep dry.  I find that confidently packing the clothes I need to keep me warm if the going gets tough in a sacrosanct, dry place allows me to generally pack much lighter.  

I would also be sure that your "wet" clothes dry quickly.

gfy_paddler wrote on Mar 12^th, 2009 at 4:11pm:

I would also be sure that your "wet" clothes dry quickly.

May can be a wild time in the Q! Everything from rain and sleet, too hot and sunny, sometimes in the same day ;)
 Quick drying clothes, to my mind means SYNTHETIC.
All the major outdoor stores sell nylon fishing shirts and pants/zip to shorts, and fleece vests and jackets.
 2 sets of nylon clothes will do for a trip, the wash out easily and dry in a stiff breeze the same. There bug bite proof, and some even have the bug dope baked in them. Bass Pro shops have the cheaper ones, the higher end outfitters are a little more expensive.
 Fleece is great, doesn't hold body odors, you can wring it out and swirl like a towel, will retain 90% of its insulating properties when damp. Layer under a rain suit or wind shirt and they'll keep you warm below freezing. I take a fleece vest/ 2x 100 wt fleece 1/4 zip pullovers/fleece hat/ fleece sweatpants for camp, or on real cold night, I wear fleece top/sweatpants for PJs. Think layering. Goose down can't be beat for weight to warmness ratio, but if you get it wet, your screwed.
 Check the Campmor link for some cheap/quality fleece, I bought the aforementioned items from them ;) The Campmor brand rain gear is excellent as well.

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Solotripper likes fleece and so do I. I have a hooded fleece sweat shirt that I use frequently.  On cold nights I use it as a night shirt.

Look to keep all items small and multi-purpose if possible.  I have a girl friend who drives me crazy by bringing the full, maximum size, shampoo bottle from her bathroom...you only need one or two dollops of shampoo for the whole trip!  Another fellow on his first trip brought a big hardcover computer book, several magazines, a radio and his rechargeable shaver.  He used the radio, but the rest never got used, had to be dried out once when he turned over the canoe, and he never found the time to read a page, much less a book.
I usually bring a small book, like a paper back, but still hardly ever get a chance to read.  One camper girl friend of mine brings a paperback she doesn't care if she brings home, she rips the pages out as they are read and always has a little paper to start a fire.
I would bring your own pack as opposed to sharing a pack with someone else.  This avoids packing hassles and bad feelings if your stuff gets wet and you think it's the other person's fault.  
It is absolutely imperative that you have a dry set of clothes in reserve for emergencies; and as said previously just knowing you have them as a back up allows you to spend all day in cold wet clothes if necessary and you can save yourself once at camp for the evening.  ;)

I only read the first entry.......I got turned on the to the "wet/dry system" of camping years ago and it has served me and many friends well. I have my wet clothes that I paddle and fish in, used when ever on the water.....these are garments that have evolved and are still for that matter-so I wont go into the detail-it is nice if they are fast drying-nylon, polypropalene, capalene, etc........including undergarments-soggy undies are a dragg especially on a cold day. Dry clothes are dedicated to camp activities-they are also quick drying-i am now considering moving to some of the thinner wool garments-because the stentch of the synthetics is insane after couple of days on trail- which would be an exception to the rule. LEAVE THE COTTON AT HOME! Wool and synthetics are the bomb in the woods and on the water. The sleeping bag is also of synthetic nature-goose down is worthless when wet-and one will get wet-even if the canoe stays up right, you have a good tent and fair weather-Because we all sweat and that will create condensation! This system including boots-wet boots-and sandals dry "boots" in my case. I ALWAYS wear my life jacket when on the water and insist that my buds due too-no matter what the temps-footwear and the life jacket are a given .....undies are an elective!GO commando rambo! That is my 2 cents.

I use a down bag and usually can keep it dry.  It is packed in a water PROOF pack and my OCD kicks in when it comes to guarding that the sleeping bag stays dry.  It is generally the last thing into the pack and the first thing out; I hang it up to air out every morning and evening that it is nice enough and there is a little time before the sun goes down (once the sun goes down it starts to get damper instead of drier).

marlin, Some of the newer synthetics aren't as bad about odor as the earlier ones. MHO, toss the old ones.

I guess I just must be wretched then :-/

Camper-what's your back up for your bag when it gets wet.....when not if?

Underwaer are overated anyway!
No use for 'em while camping.

Interesting...."back up for bag getting wet"?  Mine would be to "dry it".  I've never had a situation where the bag couldn't be dried.  Has that happened to anyone else here?  I guess I can imagine a few scenarios where I'd be looking at a wet bag at night.....yuck!  And if it got cold....could be disasterous.

Marlin-

Like IC I use down bags, have for the last 25 years. As a solo paddler the advantages of down (light weight, small packed size not to mention longer life) more than make up for the danger of them getting wet. You have to have a good tent and a good packing system. Other than some occasional dampness from cold-weather condensation (easily dried via body heat from within) I've never had an issue and I paddle in some ugly weather.

wally wrote on Mar 21^st, 2009 at 12:17pm:

Underwaer are overated anyway! No use for 'em while camping. Interesting...."back up for bag getting wet"?  Mine would be to "dry it".  I've never had a situation where the bag couldn't be dried.  Has that happened to anyone else here?  I guess I can imagine a few scenarios where I'd be looking at a wet bag at night.....yuck!  And if it got cold....could be disasterous.

Back in my group tripping days, 2 of the "boy's took a dumping and were drying their down bags near the evening fire. They decided to start the cocktail hour early and by sundown were feeling NO pain!
One of them thought it would be a good idea too throw the top of a downed pine tree into the fire. That resin laden top burst into a ball of flame, shooting far above the fire pit. They thought it was REALLY funny, until they realized their sleeping bags were still hanging close to fire :-?
 One bag was toast and they ended up having to sleep TOGETHER using the remaining bag as a quilt ;D
SO what we learn from this boy's and girls, is that fire,liquor and down bags should NEVER be mixed together :-[

So true. That's why I use synthetic, just a personal philosophy nothing more than that....2 each their own. The driver in this philo for me is more Murphy's Law than anything else....I dont ever want to be in "bad" situation again, and I perceive down with all of its attributes and short comings from that stand point-being warm if my gear was soaked to the bone is worth the little bit of extra weight, volume, and longevity. Wet down is a really big drag especially went you have the issue of hypothermia staring you in the face.

The advantages of a quality syn bag to me are: If you pack it in a compression bag and it gets dunked, it won't take on much water. And if your clothes are wet, you can crawl in your bag and be dry by morning.

A down bag in a lined compression sack won't take water either and compresses considerably  smaller.

Woodsy wrote on Mar 25^th, 2009 at 3:01am:

And if your clothes are wet, you can crawl in your bag and be dry by morning.

Welcome Woodsy! That's exactly what I do too - synthetic bag. I've often wondered if it would work AND be sustainable night after night after rainy night with a down bag. I'm thinking it should but since I don't have a down bag to test I don't know. People think I'm we're nuts but it sure beats putting on (or packing heavy) cold wet clothes in the morning. [smiley=thumbup.gif]

MMMMM-like I wrote b4....to each there own. I run both synthetic and down. It is true the down is superduper light, compressible, and has great longevity if treated right. The thing of it is, due my personal experiences, I prefer synthetic on the water trips. Yes, they are a bit bulkier and heavier, and you do have to replace them more often because they wear out...It is worth it to me because a down bag would be utterly worthless on an wet evac-think of a hurt person in the bottom of a canoe on a cold wet day , hypothermia can be rapid-I have seen a 12-13 boy go from normal to a sub 89F temp inside of 10 minutes-very enlightening experience, and I like that peace of mind that it gives me....it is totally experience driven for me. But I love down too-they are terrific on backpacking dessert and mountain trips and wintercamping....My summer synthetic bags compress to a 7" sphere, and they are 32F bags-short models mind you-and they are light-and when I put them into my 20 year old Marmot 0F down bag it is a bomber winter bag system......-40F no tent on a deck and I slept like a rock not a baby ;) I do understand all of the pros and cons and I have my experiences....to each their own....Synthetic or down I choose both but I'll stick with synthetic when the water is soft.

  After you read all the different Ideas, The #1 thing I would suggest is a big agnes sleeping bag and pad. #2 Under Armor

I think under armor is cold-especially in a cool down situation....Like the synthetic-pataguchii, REI MTS, and the new wool products are very warm but will not dry as fast as the synthetics-which I have done under a tarp in a rain storm----TO EACH THEIR OWN. The other thing that I would say is that the tweeking of one's "system" never stops-make notes on trail at home and keep honing your system.....including the repair kit, first aide kit.....fishing box....and such ;)......food and cooking :DGroup Dynamics :oand for God's sake share it with as many as you can ;D

Let me be clear, in my opinion under armor, although feeling cold by itself, is the  best under a windbreaker or a coat. I work outside all year, for 15 years, 10-12 hrs a day. under armor sox are the best. I camped last year May 10TH IN THE SNOW FOR 5 DAYS ON FLOUR and stayed warm and dry except for the SPECIAL EXPORT that was cold and wet. ;)

LOL! ;D

I'm new to this computer thing I don't know what LOL means. :-? I don't know what a cool down situation is either. I do know I like my 0 degree whiskey park Big Agness sleeping bag, and the-30 degree pad. It works great. OH Ya its synthetic.

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Cool down; I'm guessing Marlin was thinking of when you've gotten over heated and sweaty from some hard work and then stopped. Your body stops putting out the heat and the sweaty layers keep transfering heat out. Just what sweating was trying to do when it started.

Aim to stay comfortably cool by taking the time to adjust your layers as you go. IMHO

Marlin can correct me if I'm wrong about the "cool down".

He's probably studying db's link too, right Marlin? ;)

Lightweight, Lightweight, Lightweight.

You find the fanatics around here, myself included, count pounds ounces before tripping.  If you get in this practice.... you'll be glad you did.

Review all your gear... and then look at all your non essentials.  Leave them behind...except for that one good...lightweight book, first aid book too and perhaps a deck of cards.  Now look at your gear again and look at all the non essential gear... and leave it behind... except the two books and playing cards.

Lightweight, Lightweight, Lightweight.

db... if you're reading where did you find that comment about the sleeping bags?

k

LOL.LOL.LOL! ;D !@#$%^&* I'm busted :-/ Yah it was cool down....but i has been an outside person for a long time and tried the UA brand for the first time lastyear and the cool down thing has never bit in the bottom-usually I can work through with a sockin' hat but could not on any of the ocassions....I will stick to my old ways....if it aint broke dont fix it ;)The textile on UA looks bomber how ever-sized a bit small however...again my old ways. To each there own :)

Maybe the UA thing just duped me.....could not feel the sweat running down the small of my back....and I felt cool in the excercise due to the fact that the stuff wicks like no ones business....It is just different...maybe just getting set in my ways..... ::)

[quote author=db link=1236713010/20#28 date=1240031024]   (You need to Login or Register

Here's an acronym with only ONE meaning: FUBAR

FUBAR? just kidding I got it ;DLOL ;D


So what do you all have in your repair kits?

Kawishiway wrote on Apr 18^th, 2009 at 1:38pm:

db... if you're reading where did you find that comment about the sleeping bags?

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Or you can always click on the name the quote was attributed to as in "Quote from Kawishiway" above.

?

come on, ; Dilligaf is good stuff! ;D [smiley=dankk2.gif]