Going on a 5 day canoe trip

[Ankar Sheng]

This weekend I'm leaving on another journey to the Whiteshell, this time in a canoe and not alone. Figured I'd do another gear checklist with my WSS bros to make sure I'm not forgetting anything.

For those who know the area, or want to look it up on google earth, here's the plan.

Going to start at Big Whiteshell lake friday morning, paddle east and portage to Crowduck lake & fish for the afternoon.

Depending on how inspired we are by the fishing (crowduck lake is supposed to be amazing) I might be tempted to go north east and enter the Winnipeg river system, I'd really like to try and catch a sturgeon (speaking of which, any fishing tips for those dinosaurs?) Or we might head south and portage through the lakes along the Mantario trail/Ontario border to Caddy Lake (where I started on the trail a few weeks ago), then paddle down stream on the Whiteshell river back to Big Whiteshell Lake. The portage trip would be around 120km.

I'd really like to check out the Winnipeg River AND head south, but I doubt time will permit. How fast is a canoe when paddled at a relaxed but steady pace? 4-5km/h?

I'm going to put a gear list together for you guys to double check for me. I haven't done that much canoeing so any tips would be welcome.

 

[Ankar Sheng]

canoe
3paddles
lifejackets

drybag:
2 sleeping bags


1 shorts
1 light pants
1 wool pants
2 tshirts
1 wool shirt
1 jacket*
2 undies
3 socks
bandana
sandals
boots*
hat

backpack:
9x12 tarp
8x10 tarp
2 rods
2 reels
1 tackle kit
cook kit
paracord
2xsleeping pads
kerosene lamp*
GB 19" axe or SilkySaw


Jumbopack
canteen/cup
water pur tabs
maps
compass
knife
multitool
heat sheet
work gloves
poncho
bugnet
deet
hipflask
flashlight/batteries
first aid
camera

Food:

Here's a quick list i slapped together, food items havent been picked.

Buddy doesnt really have any gear, but i have plenty. Plan is to take a big dry bag and my hiking pack and divide our gear up amongst the 2 bags. The drybag will obviously have his clothes too.

Gonna take my maxped jumbo pack too for all my personal little items.

Items with a * are undecided, might get left behind.

 

[Hassilov]

I canoe. I like your list with the exception of: kerosene lamp (leave it home), 2 x 12 tarp (don't know what that is - leave it home). Smart decision to bring wool pants/shirt and extra paddle. Each guy should bring their own set of leather work gloves. Bring both axe and saw – you'll use the saw more. If you have them, a couple of those lightweight aluminum tripod stools are a very useful luxury item.

You should be making 5 km/h under good conditions (no headwind). 8 km/h downhill on a river.

 

[Brad "the butcher"]

axe and saw are needed since you have the room, reduce's work and time.

Bring the lantern too. I like to light my lantern and leave it on shore for the evening bite so it is easy to spot your camp on the boat or walking the shoreline. you stay out longer for the big ones when you know you can find your way. Really hard to find the right piece of shoreline with just a flashlight. Not to mention it is pretty easy to light a fire soaking wet from a spill with some kerosene. Just make sure you empty it into a plastic bottle every morning so you do not have to worry about spills in the boat.

For sturgeon bring some large chicken thigh's bagged then in a good sealing throwaway tupperware. Good and stinky is what you want off of a 2/0 to 4/0 hook. Bring some disposable gloves so you don't reek and get it on the bottom. Bring rubber/cotton gloves because the plates on smaller ones can cut you up when you are tailing or just for better grip, they are so strong. Never caught one over 5 ft but my 4.5 ft still took an hour on chinook salmon tackle.

Change the hip flask for the shoulder canteen!!!

 

[Joezilla]

I love taking a small quick dry towel, and one of those small hand operated bilge pumps just to keep the inside very dry.

 

[Joezilla]

Change the hip flask for the shoulder canteen!!!

+1 on that!

 

[Ankar Sheng]

Woops, thats supposed to be a 9x12 tarp, gonna use that over head and the 8x10 on the ground.

I do like the lantern around the camp, but it would be a lot of weight. I'll be camping out all week before the trip, I'll put it to use until the trip and then I'll know for sure if I want to take it.

Cant make up my mind about the saw/axe. I can manage just fine with just the saw as I did on my hike, but the axe saves so much time...

I'll have to see what the gear load is like, it would be nice to keep the packs light enough to carry them while we portage the canoe to avoid making 2 trips.

 

[Ankar Sheng]

Hey Brad, I like the way you think!

Do you suppose local fish would make good bait? I'm not 100% sure I'll even get to fish for sturgeon so I dont want to be packing special bait for them. I'm not familiar with salmon tackle, would a bottom rig like you'd use for pickerel or catfish work?

An hour fight with a fish, that would make this trip really awesome. I only got 8lb line, and I dont even think my ultralight reel can handle 8lb of drag, it'd be a war of attrition.

I didn't even realize it at the time, but when I was in china last month I was eating sturgeon! Damn tasty fish.

 

[Ankar Sheng]

 

[mdauben]

I do like the lantern around the camp, but it would be a lot of weight. I'll be camping out all week before the trip, I'll put it to use until the trip and then I'll know for sure if I want to take it.

You ever try a candle lantern? Big gas or keroscene lanterns are good for base camps or car camping, but it seems a bit heavy and bulky for backcountry use. Plus, I generally like to enjoy the dark when I camp the backcountry, its generally the only time I can see the glory of the night sky.

Cant make up my mind about the saw/axe. I can manage just fine with just the saw as I did on my hike, but the axe saves so much time...

Hard to say. I've gotten buy in the northwoods with one or the other but never taken both at once. Certainly handy to have both if the weight is not a problem (in other words, not too much portaging)

I'll have to see what the gear load is like, it would be nice to keep the packs light enough to carry them while we portage the canoe to avoid making 2 trips.

Yeah, multiple trips can be a drag, although I found on long portages even I light pack can get pretty heavy if you are carrying a canoe, too. It might be worth doing, if you can get the gear load down enough so one person can carry both packs, while the other carries the canoe?

Good trip! I envy you.

 

[Ankar Sheng]

Well todays the day, and not without delay as usual. Packing up all the gear while buddy finishes work.

If you were going on a 5 day trip and knew that you'd forget something, what would you forget? Cause I need to make sure I have that in my kit.

 

[Masteroffajitas]

Cool, making a 4 day thip starting tuesday. I hope you have fun.

 

[Wandering_About]

Don't forget to bring a towel. Seriously, that's what I *always* forget.

 

[Chunk]

Good news about a 5 day trip is that if you forget anything, the worse thing you will face is discomfort.
This trip will teach YOU exactly how much of that stuff you don't actually use, and what extra you might bring next time, to suit YOUR needs.

I think you'll end up losing a lot of that clothing and extra footwear for next trip.
Ditto some of those tools and lighting.

And for goodness sake man, if you're going to be killing fish in wilderness canoe settings, get yourself a solid conventional reel, 80lb test braid, and a solid 7' rod. Time to get serious here buddy.

Sturgeon rig as follows - 8oz weight on a sliding swivel, stop it a foot away from your hook. Let it sit on the bottom so the bait can flap about in the current. Drop it into the channel, paddle your tackle out there in the canoe and bank fish em. Get a bell. Don't hammer em too hard or early to set the hook, they have soft mouths. Hence the sliding swivel for the weight - he'll suck the bait in and out of his mouth and mull it over for a while before inhaling it.

Good luck sir, and have lots of fun, and take lots of piccies.

 

[Bushman5]

Ankar, i'm not seeing a 5 gallon barrel of DEET?

have fun my fellow Canadian, we all look forward to tons of action pics!

 

[mcjhrobinson]

dont forget your shoes.....i always forget mine....yes, im a slipper wearer (its a hawaii thing!)

+1 on fast dry towel

have a fun safe trip!

 

[SouthernCross]

What knife are you taking?



Kind regards
Mick

 

[mete]

That's a very small sturgeon ! In the 1800s in the Hudson River they harvested huge numbers of " Hudson River Beef" but they were very large and would cover the whole table not just a plate !!
One thing rarely mentioned with canoe trips - number of people. We found many years ago the ideal size is 4 or 6 people. If you have 4 [2 canoes] when you get tired of your companion [gets on your nerves] you can switch off with the other team. Greater than 6 and you have too many people to efficiently get organized .Of course eliminate any problem people , ego types etc.

 

[dipbait]

A couple of bars of Ivory soap. Five day trip you may want to bathe in that frigid water. Ivory soap floats so you wont lose it or waste time searching for it on the bottom.

 

[GRIM 62]

I live near Astoria,oregon,we use sand shrimp,anchovies,and smelt.We fish for White Sturgeon.I'm not sure what type you'll be fishing for,but good luck using 8lb line.We use 40lb Maxima as the minimum.I use 80lb braided line on a Shimano Trevala tuna rod.