Well, 4 months came and went like nothing. Everything is packed and sorted. There is some new gear coming on this trip. I would have liked to test it first but it’s been a busy summer.
I said I would post a gear list, but I don’t really see the value in that without an explanation that would bore most of you. Most of the gear I’m bringing is a result of many trips and figuring out what I like to bring and what I used to bring and don’t use.
First we have the key gear. Transportation, Shelter and Survival followed by food. Then there is Equipment, Navigation, Clothing and everything after that is luxury items.
Transportation is pretty straight forward. Boat, paddles, PDF, safety gear. Shelter is a tent, tarp, sleeping bag/pad. Survival is fire starting tools, first aid kit (I could write an entire article on this, and probably will), and water filtration.
Equipment is quality of life gear. Wood processing tools, stove, pans, pots, chair, bug spray and paracord. Navigation is key. GPS, phone with downloaded maps, printed maps and a compass. Clothing will change with climate, another great article idea.
Luxury items need to be chosen carefully. They are usually heavy, so when you hauling a 60 lbs pack over a treacherous portage, you want to know that when you get to the camp site the extra work was worth it. I like to bring a small table so I’m not trying to cook on the ground. I bring a GoPro with a handful of batteries and a couple of battery packs with solar panel. Some food items like peanut butter and honey are heavy but a joy to eat for breakfast or an afternoon snack. Soap is nice for cleaning clothes, dishes, and smelly body parts. A frying pan, oil/lard and spices are nice for when the fish cooperate and hit the lure you randomly chose.
Packing food for 10 days is not easy. Too much and you get to haul it for the whole trip. Too little and last couple of days are no fun while you consume your last snacks in place of a meal. There is no way to predict fishing success, especially when you aren’t a good fisherman. So, I’m carrying 14lbs of food and there is a good chance I’m taking 8lbs of that home, but I won’t starve to death.
I can’t sleep. I’m starting the drive North in less than 7 hours and decided to write this instead of going to bed.