Here's a wish list for canoe campers. Have you been good enough this year to get any of these great camping items?
Camping hammock
One of the main pieces LT added to his kit this year was this hammock from Hennessy Hammock:
I ordered this through MEC online for LT's birthday in June. He put it to use for all trips he took except the long weekend in May. It was especially handy for his 6-day solo trip.
I attempted to make my own hammock tent from my parachute fabric hammock. However, I'll probably invest in one of these for next year - same brand, but a different model. I'm not so tall to need the 6 foot version. For the record, two hammocks will weigh more than a single 2-person tent. However, LT swears that being off the ground completely alleviates any back pain from lying on the ground and he's a complete convert so I'll have to follow suit.
We're tweaking the mattress system to use with the hammocks. Also I did sew up a set of much longer hanging straps for LT's hammock.
Dehydrator
This is probably number one on my wish list to Santa. However, I have a feeling I'm going to have to save my pennies to get it. I'm currently using a Salton dehydrator I bought at Walmart for $50. This is quite the step up:
Saw
This isn't a new item for us but it's a good one. It packs light, takes up little space, really works, and is MUCH safer than an axe or hatchet. Just ask Kevin Callan.
It took me a while to this online, LT has had this item for years. Its' official name is: Take-Down Buck Saw
Thermos
This sounds like a bit of an odd piece of kit to have on a wish list. I picked one up late this summer and took it on my last trip in September. It was the most useful thing I bought this year for camping. It has multiple uses. I selected it to use to carry my lunch. I use dehydrated food and this allowed me to quickly add some boiling water to the prepped food at breakfast. It rehydrates during the day and when I want to stop at a portage to eat, it's ready, hot and delicious. The only thing I'd do differently is buy a size larger.
Besides lunches, I used it for hot tea and to rehydrate all the fruit I use for dessert at dinnertime. It rehydrated pineapple so well, you wouldn't have known it was dehydrated in the first place.
Comfy chair
LT doesn't push his opinions very often, but the first opinion he expressed about camping is how important it is to have a comfortable chair to sit in at the end of the day at your campsite. That chair must have a back to it. I didn't believe him, last year I carried a very light tripod chair made by Eureka! It was small, light, perfect for carrying in my backpack. But it was horribly uncomfortable. This year I vowed to do it differently, I just didn't want to pay $100 for a Helinox chair from MEC. I found a similar chair at Lebaron's on sale and snapped it up. Here's my gear review on it: Nano chair
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| Being used in the field |
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| All the pieces |
This chair packs into a relatively small space, doesn't weigh much and is really comfy!
Comfy air mattress for a hammock
I have a comfy air mattress, but it takes up a lot of space. LT was eyeing the Exped blow up mattress with the down filling, but with his new hammock, such a large mattress isn't as necessary. I found when I used his hammock that blowing up my air mattress to full capacity made the hammock uncomfortable. A real Goldilocks situation! Here is a mattress that might be better suited to a hammock, especially for cooler nights:
You may already have a cheat for this bubble pad if you have those silver heat liners for your car's windshield.
Footwear
My favourite footwear for canoe camping are these sandals from Keen:
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| Okay, my pair are slightly larger than this key chain |
The only downfall is that bugs can bite any exposed skin. I wore wool socks in these during my last September trip, which was perfect. Light socks work as well. They are light, I don't mind getting them wet - they dry fast, and they're comfy. I don't need a pair, but you might want to put a pair on your list to Santa!
Clothing
What you wear while canoe camping is very much a personal preference thing. LT recommends a long sleeved lightweight shirt that is a muted colour, preferably beige. I have a couple of Columbia ones that fit the bill. This year I added a new shirt that I really like because it doesn't have buttons! I got it at Dick's Sporting Goods in Watertown, it's made out of the same fabric as my Columbia shirts:
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| And it has a hood (note the aforementioned sandals) |
Sunglasses
I'm torn when it comes to spending a lot of money on sunglasses. They're so easily lost or broken. I'm kind of a klutz. I'm currently wearing "Mall Bans", you know, those fake brand name sunglasses you can get at that kiosk in the middle of the mall, 3 pair for $30. But I really need a decent pair of sunglasses that are polarized so I can see through the reflection off the surface of the lake so we don't hit any rocks or sunken logs.
Camera Equipment
This is on my list, in case I don't get it I am saving my AMEX bonus points for it. I just need to spend probably another $10,000 on my card....
Some of these are definitely going on my wishlist! Whats on yours?
