The kitchen that I take with me might be huge (three two-burner stoves, griddles, a 20" fry pan, Dutch oven, cooler, dish pan and more) if I am responsible for feeding a crowd. Or for another trip alone I might only have a back-packing stove, one or two pots and a big spoon. The kitchen always includes a tarp. Its size depends on the group size. I like to have the sun in the morning if possible, so I don't put the tarp up if I'm sure that it won't rain. I try to have just enough food for the trip. So in a group, I eat last - sometimes a lot, sometimes a little. I usually make up a snack bag for each member of a group so that they will know that they won't starve (a real concern to some folks).

Your trip will be fun, interesting, and successful if you are sure to get enough sleep. If you are rested, everything else is small stuff. To sleep well you must have a dry, comfortable tent and bag. If it rains in the overnight hours, make sure you pack the tent with the ground cloth folded over the dry canopy, and the wet fly separated from the canopy by the ground cloth. Dry everything out at the earliest chance. You'll need to pack your sleeping bag and pad carefully so they won't get wet, perhaps double bagging them. Whatever you need to sleep comfortably should be packed with your sleeping bag. Your pad, a pillow if you need it, perhaps ear plugs.

When you consider your clothing, you might think in terms of a 'wet set' to paddle in, and a 'dry set' for camp. For a summer camping trip in Maine, my 'wet set' would be synthetic shorts, coolmax t-shirt, and booties or bare feet (depending on the water I was paddling). I would have a short-sleeved paddling shirt in easy reach. My 'dry set' would include long underdraws or tights, a long-sleeve synthetic button front shirt (mostly for bugs), wool or fleece socks and sandals or sneakers, and a back-up fleece. I always carry a light, hooded rain jacket and rain pants. Before I leave camp in the morning, I take off my 'dry' clothes and put on my 'wet' set for paddling. Sometimes I don't ever use my dry set of clothing, but I know it's there if I get cold or uncomfortable. I have a small sack of toiletry items: I include here bug dope, sunscreen, personal medications, as well as toothbrush and paste, soap, and deodorant. I carry my clothing and bedroom (except for the tent) in a 70-liter drybag. The tent usually goes into its own drybag. My thwart bag holds my navigation gear, paddle jacket, small first aid kit, snacks, and headlamp.

My tool bag might include a saw, a big repair kit for stove, canoe, paddle, tent, etc, a comprehensive first aid kit, and a water filter or drinking water for one trip, and only a tiny first aid kit, filter, and duct tape for another. If I have a large group and a fire would be fun, I often take hardwood, split wrist size. That way, I can have a small, effective cook fire that folks can sit around in the evening.

The transportation list has "to-dos" on it as well as gear. I want to make sure that my car is ready to roll: tires and spare inflated properly, oil changed on schedule, battery in good shape, inspected and insured. I need a solid roof rack and straps for the boat. This list also includes paddles, PFDs, kneeling pads, throwbags, paddlefloats, sponges, bailers and pumps. We know what a damp sport kayaking is, it's also impossible to keep every last paddle drip out of the canoe, and kneeling pads seats get salty and gritty and need to be cleaned.

A day in the life of a leisurely canoe camper might look like this. The cook is up first to start the coffee and begin breakfast. Immediately after breakfast, each person packs their own lunch to take with them in the canoe. The kitchen gets cleaned up and packed, as do the tents. Everybody gets into their 'wet' clothing. 'Dry' clothing is secured in drybags. The boats are floated and packed, and off we go. We paddle close enough so that everybody is comfortable with our spacing. Sometime around mid-morning, and again at lunch, we take breaks. We try to make camp by mid or late afternoon, pitching tents to air out, hanging sleeping bags to air, and pull the boats out of the river or above the high tide mark. This leaves us with time to swim, bird-watch, fish (be sure to check the local freshwater fish regulations), read or hike before we need to make dinner. Sound nice? You can do it!

Peppe loves sharing her outdoor experiences and knowledge to increase others' enjoyment of the outdoors. She teaches outdoor sport and survival skills year round, both privately and in large groups. From guiding winter camping trips to teaching families to canoe, Jackie is at home in the outdoors. She has been a registered Maine guide since 1994 and holds ACA (American Canoe Association), PSIA (Professional Ski Instructors of America), WMA (Wilderness Medical Associates) and ARC (American Red Cross) certifications. You may email questions or comments to Jackie@Followjackie.com.