The 'Compleat' camper

February-March 2002

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.
To download a pdf copy of the magazine click here: > DOWNLOAD

by Deb Leach and Friends

Kayaks can easily carry more than two backpacks worth of gear, so paddlers don't have to be especially space conscious. Special thanks to Laurence Thor for showing me "what's hot" in the aisles of Mountain Equipment Co-op. Others paddlers have added their two-bits.

CLOTHING

Choose clothing that will wick away moisture and dry quickly. To test your materials at home, wash and spin them and check the dampness against your face. Polar fleece, nylon, lycra and polypropylene feel barely damp and will dry in a short time. Jeans and cotton t-shirts hold a lot of water, so leave them at home. (Randy Hall, Victoria Canoe and Kayak Club instructor)

LIGHTS

For hands-free camping and cooking, headlamps are popular. Small and powerful versions are the Petzl LED headlamps the size of a large thumb, the Tikka ($50 Cdn) and Zipka (ultra-compact, very longburning,$ 60 Cdn). They last 150 hours on 3 AAAs. Although the light may be diffuse after a while, they are still going 140 hours after every other light is dead. Cartridge lanterns that fit on gas canisters give lots of light.

SLEEPING BAG

Since paddlers are likely to encounter wet conditions, go for a bag with a synthetic fill rather than down.

SLEEPING MAT

There are lots of rubberized and inflatable mats on the market. Most seasoned paddlers swear by their 5-cm (2-inch) thick self-inflating air mattress.

TARP

For a couple of campers, a 2x3 metre (7x10 feet) size is adequate. For 4-6 people, choose one that is at least 3x4 metres (10x13 feet). Curved tarps are less likely to catch the wind or allow water to pool for an unexpected dowsing. A tarp made from 400-denier nylon tarp with an undercoating and grommets every 30-cm (12") for hanging or attaching to another tarp is recommended (Mercia Sixta, Western Canoeing).

TENT

Choose a tent that is quick and easy to set up. Anticipate adverse conditions-rain, strong winds and blazing sun. Make sure your tent has an adequate fly, good vents and vestibules to store your gear. Bring your old tent up to snuff by treating it with Nikwax Tent and Gear Waterproof. For around $15 you can spray a 2-person tent. Choose a groundsheet that is the size of your tent and doesn't extend out to catch water from your fly. (Mercia Sixta). If the bottom or your tent is suspect, put the groundsheet on the inside (Jim Demler, Gabriola). Snow stakes are good for camping in sand-under $2 each.

WATERPROOF BAGS

Dry bags are packing essentials. Paddlers typically need four 20 litre and three 10 litre sizes. Larger sizes only fit in the centre hatch of tandem kayaks or canoes.

YOUR CAMP KITCHEN

Need to Have: (for a party of 4)

• Each paddler needs their own pocket knife, spoon and fork (or spork), bowl or plate and insulated mug
• 3 nesting pots with covers.
• Teflon lined skillet (25-30 cm or 10-12 inches in diameter)
• Coffee making equipment
• 2 nesting stainless steel cups-for ladles or emergency drinking cups
• Utensils in a fabric roll or clear dry bag- pancake turner, wooden spoon, rubber spatula, wooden spatula, mini cheese grater, tongs, utility knife, pot handles
• Knife with a 4-5 inch long blade (in sheath or cardboard holder covered in duct tape)
• Stove-1 burner and fuel supply
• Aluminum foil for cooking fish or potatoes or for an extra pot lid.

Nice to Have:

• Bake Oven-especially for baking and hearty entrees like casseroles.
• Camp toaster for over the fire. (Gerry Smeltzer, Victoria, BC)
• Collapsible vinyl wash basin for dishwashing or serving salad, rolls, etc.
• Food Cache-a bear-proof drum (smaller than a breadbox) that holds about a week's supply of food (for when there are no trees for hanging food)
• Folding table
• Colander for straining pasta and cleaning veggies and fruit
• Cooler-style lunch bag for cheese, yogurt and luncheon meats.
• Cozies for your pots when it is cold and windy (Dugald Nasmith, Pacific Rim Paddling)
• Cutting board (synthetic)-cut to fit under a hatch cover. Or the folding mat variety, if you have a secure flat surface to chop on.
• Graduated plastic pitcher (2-litre or 2 quart size) for mixing powdered drinks, pancake mixes, instant puddings
• Lexan pepper grinders
• Teapot for boiling water only-no food flavours (Patty Brown)
• Waterproof 30 L duffel bags are easier to pack and unpack than regular dry bags (Mercia Sixta)
• Water filter or treatment system (See article ).

COFFEE-MAKING

• Drip coffee through a gold mesh Melita filter over a wide-mouthed thermos; heat milk and use a battery-operated milk frother to turn it into a cappuccino or latte.
• Lexan Java (Bodum Style) Java Press.
• Gourmet instant coffees (Cathy and Doug Hull)

DISHWASHING

• Basic-small bottle of 'marine suds', a sponge backed with an abrasive scrubber, and synthetic chamois towels for drying dishes and mopping up spills. Keep in a mesh drawstring bag.
• Deluxe-set up 3 rectangular plastic basins in a folding metal stand to wash, sanitize and rinse your dishes (Wildheart Adventures).

OVEN IDEAS

• See the Dec - Jan 2000 issue of Wave Length for ideas on oven options.
• Set your pan of cinnamon buns over apot of boiled water to help them 'proof'.
• Keep pancakes and French Toast warm in another pan with a lid.

POTS

Check your recipes to make sure your 3 pots are enough. Reckon that a 600 mL (2 1/2 cups) of hot food is a reasonable serving pot needs to be 4 litres (16-cup) to cook pasta and prevent sticking.

Stainless steel is easy to clean and doesn't dent as easily as lighter weight aluminum. Titanium pots are the lightest, they work well and are very expensive. For them, you'll need a stove that simmers or a heat diffuser-adding more weight.

STOVE

If you don't plan to camp often, cartridge stoves are the user-friendliest. The canisters can be recycled some places. They cost more per burning time, but are easy to light, simmer well and need no maintenance.

Liquid-fuel stoves use refillable bottles. White gas (Naphtha or camping fuel) is volatile and should only be kept 8-12 months after opening. These stoves require pumping, priming and regular maintenance. They can clog and foul if not well maintained. But many seasoned campers say the MSR WhisperLite is the best thing going.

TABLE

Look for a collapsible aluminum table to give you a kitchen counter and a dining table. Its nice not having to search for a flat piece of wood to balance on logs or work at beach level. (Mercia Sixta)

CHEAP TRICKS

It's loverly to have a have a GPS to know where you are and a handheld computer to store your tide tables and reading material. Since I haven't won the lottery (yet), I keep paper "tools" in zip-locks and vinyl cases. A few items other "frugal paddlers" may want to include:

• flagging tape to tie on tent pegs and dark bags that could get lost
• elastics for a multitude of uses
• strings to attach to small items you stuff in the pointy ends of your boat
• Neck 'safe' to hold 2 lighters
• Whisk broom to clean wet sand off feet, tarps, etc.