Tailored Approach to Packing

This is the canoe pack I got from Cooke Custom

Sewing last year at Canoecopia.

 

I’ve assembled camping checklists offered by several different people on trips of different lengths.  This may help you fine-tune your own pack list.  There are two assumptions here that I feel are appropriate.  First, the greater the experience, the more refined the understanding of what is needed to accomplish a trip of a given length.  However, there are other considerations.  For example, the need for a bear can or how reaching a certain age can make some “nice to haves” nearly essential, like a comfortable chair.  Secondly, while name brands are given in several cases, the brand chosen may represent things other than the best quality, like the region where the camper who made the particular list resides.  It may be more appropriate to look for the suggested attributes that a product may offer, and see what other brands offer the same advantages than just trying to duplicate another person’s vendor choices.

Day Paddle Pack

First aid, water treatment, trail mix, toilet paper in bag with cat hole trowel, bug spray, belt knife, foul weather gear, paracord, headlamp (Black Diamond, waterproof),   Sol Thermal Bivy, tarp, bear spray, Bic lighter, duct tape, and a SPOT.  Carry-out trash bags.

3-Day Pack

Nemo Astro Insulated Light 25L sleeping pad, sleeping bag in compression bag, Sierra Design 2-man, 3 season tent, foil insulating pad layer, water purification, cook kit, food bag, headlamp, phone, GPS in waterproof case, Anker PowerCore 10,000 recharging power pack, first aid, Picaridin bug/tick spray, cat hole spade & TP in dry bag, compass, belt knife, garbage bags to put pack in or on, and baby wipes.  Carry-out trash bags.

5-Day Pack

Radio for weather, water treatment & filter, first aid, gloves, bear spray, Tuban folding bucket/collapsible sink, foul weather gear, REI Flex-Lite chair, belt knife, cook kit, stove, fire kit, toiletries, flashlight, bear food can, clothes, Thermarest folding sleeping pad, A Sea-To-Summit Comfort Light Insulated mat on top of that, Mountain Hardwear Down Ratio 15 sleeping bag, Snugpak Scorpion 2 four-season tent.  Carry-out trash bags.

Appalachian Trail Pack

Osprey Atmos 65AG pack, SPOT, phone/camera pouch on shoulder strap, Kelty Ignite Dri Down 20 sleeping bag, Six Moon Designs Solo Lunar LE tent, Thermorest Trekker Pad, Sea to Summit Aeros pillow, REI Black Diamond trekking poles, bandana, first aid, ear plugs, Sea to Summit Reactor Thermolite sleeping bag liner (adds 20-deg), bug net, Anker PowerCore 20,100 recharging power pack, paracord, Black Diamond Headlamp, pack cover by Sea-to-Summit, Smart Water water filter bottle, Sawyer drip filter or Platypus GravityWorks filter & bag, MSR Pocket Rocket stove, cook utensils in 700 ml pot, Bic lighter.  Carry-out trash bags.

Not only is carry-in, carry-out a noble practice, but from a purely survival point of view, trash can attract wildlife just as much as food if not handled properly.  A simple solution is to put the trash in zip-lock bags, and then put those in larger bags, making them double-bagged, or back in the bottom of the bear barrel.