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CANOE
CAMPING TRIP TIPS
If you REALLY want to have
fun in our canoe...try a 2 day camping
trip. We
have been doing them for the last 13 years, and
would like to share a few of our tips with
you.......
Pick
a stretch of water about 12 to 24 miles long.
Length will be dependant on your fishing
intensity.
Park one car at the end of your stretch,
and drive up to the starting point.
Pick a beach that is flat, has mostly
sand, is near a fishing hole and protected from
the wind when setting up your campsite.
Be sure to put out your anchor no matter
how far you pull the canoe out of the water.
We bring a small 2 man
tent.
After setting it up make sure to put a
plastic tarp inside
on the floor....add inflatable mats and
sleeping bags and you’re set!
 Now
on to your campfire and meal
preparation.......We always bring 4 split pieces
of wood along with a flat metal grate about 15 X
20 inches.
Set up the logs in a square pattern.....
smooth the sand in the pit,
and light a bag of baglight charcoal.
We also bring along extra briquettes as
needed. After
your meal is cooked and off the grill...kick the
4 logs over on top of the remaining embers and
enjoy your meal with the soft glow of a
campfire...We pack the logs in a paper grocery
bag inside a big plastic bag...you’ll then
have your trash container to take with you after
tearing down camp. We
put our dirty dishes in the paper bag.
Bring the grill in a plastic bag so that
you won’t get grease on everything after you
cook.
We
also take an all purpose small waterproof bag
packed with our cooking utensils...first aid
kit, lantern...world band radio...and food that
doesn’t need to stay cold.
We use
a small portable table and 2
compact camp stools.
We put our sleeping bags, clothing, and
clean up kits in a large waterproof bag.
Inside we also pack baggies with wet
washcloths.
They are great to clean up with before
you turn in for the evening.
Coolers
are very important...especially in the heat of
summer.
We use only the fabric ones that we
sell...heavy duty and they keep ice cold for a
very long time.
Make sure your food and drinks are cold
before you pack them.
We put the drinks in our 36 pack cooler
with a block of ice.
We put our food in the 24 pack cooler and
prefreeze two
48 oz. plastic bottles of water....as
they melt you have your drinking water.
An added plus is that your food doesn’t
get soggy from melted ice inside the cooler.
Be
creative with your food.
Precutting and preparing may take longer
before you leave, but will be well worth the
effort when you set up camp and are hungry and
tired. Sautéing
mushrooms and onions to put on your filet mignon
along with your special beans and potatoes made
at home and heated on the grill guarantee you
will sleep like a baby...bring along a bag of
store bought ceasar salad and don’t forget the
smores!! We
also like to bring our sandwich fixins and make
them right before
we eat them...the sandwiches taste
fresher that way.
It
is very easy to pack your canoe with everything
you need for your trip.
Make sure the seats face each other...put
the battery in the front position and put the
tent tarp on the bottom of the hull between the
front seat and the bow.
Now arrange your cargo and use a spider
bunge cord to secure it all down...even though
it will mound above the canoe you will find it
amazingly balanced and safe.
We put the coolers with the food and
drink on either side of the thwart.
Be
thorough and take your time when getting
everything ready to go...it is well worth the
effort. I
have a list that I have been using for years,
and the only thing that ever changes is the food
and drink selection.
Take your wife or one of your children
and make a memory of it.....our kids have been
going every year with dad... one at a time...
since they were 3....they pick the food and the
stretch of river they want to canoe and away we
go! An
added bonus is the world band radio....we tune
it to different countries sitting around the
campfire after a late dinner....it helps you
feel like you are a world away...and that is
what we are looking for, isn’t it?
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