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At the campsite
At the campsite
If you're interested in whitewater tripping you probably already know a thing or two about camping, but we thought we'd share a few things about how we do it.
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Pulling your weight
Pulling your weight
It's important on backcountry trips for everyone to feel like they everyone is pulling their weight. One of the ways to ensure this happens is by talking about it ahead of time. Split Rock has put together a Tripping-labour contribution discussion guide to help with this.
Camp set up
Camp set up
First arrival
First arrival
When we first land at a site, there will likely be a quick discussion about who is doing what. On a multi day trip, this all just becomes second nature. Tents will need to be set up, but there's also food prep, firewood collection and shared camp prep like putting up a tarp or the bug tent. It's important just to consider the whole group's needs. Don't be the dude that sets up his own tent and then starts whittling a spoon or decides to crack a beer and go for a swim.
Managing gear around the site.
Managing gear around the site.
Shit everywhere doesn’t make for a nice relaxing feeling of being in the bush. We try to keep our site reasonably presentable. For instance, we often put empty or not currently used bags under a tent’s backdoor fly. We'll also try to designate a barrel and kitchen area, which can inevitably be a bit of a disaster as things go in and out of the barrels while cooking, so it's nice that it's contained to one area.
Animals getting into your stuff
Animals getting into your stuff
As you may have heard, there are woodland critters that would like to eat your food for you. Mice, chipmunks, raccoons, and bears for example. Hanging your food bag way up on a line between trees is one way of keeping food out of reach and it is critical when camping with only soft bags. Another strategy is to use a solid container like a barrel that critters can't open, and bears would at least have to struggle with it for a bit giving you time to scare it off. We do hang food sometimes early on trips when all of the food doesn't fit into the barrels.
We once saw a nice insulated drybag for food tossed in the garbage at a take-out because a mouse had tunneled into it. That's a bag that should have been hung. On more than a few occasions, we've been visited by a mouse while cooking. While we've thus far avoided any interactions with larger animals on a site, this is largely due to our vigilance with food items.
Food smells
Food smells
The most effective method of keeping animals away from a campsite is to be careful with food smells around the site. Any food that falls on the ground is a potential food smell attracting animals at night. We'll pick it all up, scoop some of the soil with it, and throw it in the fire. We spit our toothpaste into the fire at night and make sure all food garbage is packed up into the barrels at night. Also, if you use the lid of a barrel as a food prep surface, use the inside and ensure it is washed afterwards that way the food-smelling side is faces inside the barrel.
“No trace” camping
“No trace” camping
We try, within reason, to leave no trace that we were ever at a site. All garbage is picked up and we don't leave a bunch of gross food in the fire pit. We do not burn cans and leave them for the next group or ever leave garbage unburnt in a fire pit. If there's no thunderbox, we bury everything. Who wants to see little packages of toilet paper in the bush? We don't really get into the "Bushcrafting" scene where you cause unnecessary damage to live plants or trees just to make a cool adjustable pot hanging system. No one needs that.
Bear control
Bear control
In our many years of backcountry camping, only one of us experienced a bear coming into a site, which was quickly scared off by a dog. However, we still keep vigilant about bears, especially when there are no dogs along. There are naturally others who are more vigilant, but we've found our comfort level. Here is what we do to mitigate the possibility of a bear visit.
As mentioned above, we control the food smells. This also includes pouring dish basin water away from the campsite.
We carry a small fog horn, bear bangers (very loud firecrackers), and bear spray.
We set up tents, bug tents, hammocks and beached canoes in such a way that there's always an easy route for a bear to run away and not feel trapped even for a second.
If you're worried about bears at night, some find it comforting to sleep with a paddle just outside their tent. There was once an Algonquin camp counsellor that scared away a bear with just a paddle. Similarly, you're not going to win in a knife fight with a bear, but it can also be oddly comforting to sleep knowing your knife is with you in the tent.
We sing with gusto. This has less to do with bears, but a raucous sing along tends to scare away any and all animals, including other campers!
If you encounter a bear
If you encounter a bear
If you do see a bear, make lots of noise that isn't aggressive or fearful. You could loudly say, "Hi bear. You can go away now bear. Good bear." It serves to both let the bear know you're there and aren't a concern and also lets your fellow campers know about the situation.
Back away slowly from the bear keeping it in your sight, but avoid direct eye contact which can be interpreted as aggressive.
If it still doesn't leave, use the air horn. If you have them, bear bangers are useful here - but make sure to fire it straight up, as a loud sound behind the bear might scare it in your direction.
If you're with others, move towards each other. Never split up.
And remember that bear attacks are a heck of a lot less common than dog attacks. Bears just happen to be bigger.
If a bear charges, use the bear spray if you have it. If it attacks, fight with everything you have. You can 'play dead' thing only applies if you're certain it's a mother protecting her cubs.
Firewood collection
Firewood collection
Collect what you think you need for a night and then go back out and get three times more. It's good karma to leave some wood for the next camper - if possible, as out of the rain as possible.
Grab plenty of birch bark when you see it, but don’t peel it off a live tree. Birch bark burns wet and is an excellent starter.
Avoid burning too much for entertainment.
Don’t be the guy who builds a massive fire that quickly burns through the wood pile while everyone else is gathering. (Unless there’s a purpose like you need the coal bed for supper cooking. In that case, let everyone know so they don’t think you’re being an ass.)
Firewood shuttle - sometimes we send a canoe out to go collect firewood across the river or lake. Best to not do this alone. We also do this to preserve the area around the site, which tend to get picked over pretty bad.
We do not cut down trees. There are plenty of trees that have fallen already. Felling a dead tree could cause damage to the environment and creates unnecessary risks.
Firewood collection has inherent risks - whether it be from the implements that may be used (e.g., hatchet, saw) to the risk of slivers. One should always exercise caution. We advocate for the use of gloves because nothing is more annoying than a cut or sliver that is aggravated by paddling. It's always important to be super careful with sharp tools when access to emergency care is far away.
Packing for a canoe trip
Packing for a canoe trip
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