Packing For Overnighters.

[LittleRedFisherman]

I've grown up fishing, and even fishing all night on the river here at home for Flathead, but always had a truck available as we camped at boat ramps. My Ozark river trips so far have always been day trips. I'm planning to do my first overnight trip one of these days, and was thinking about stuff i'd need to take for a good overnight trip. I got a good idea what needs to be taken, but figure many of you seasoned overnighter veterans might have some advice. I know more can be packed in a Canoe, but I've got a Coosa, and hope I can get enough inside it. (hoping I can get my Coleman stove in there..lol) It's not really knowing what to take, but how do some of you guys pack it, and keep it dry, plus there might be things I haven't thought about. Idealy, I hope I can float sometime with a friend with a canoe, but I believe I can get enough in that Coosa to get me by for a one, possibly two nighter? Thanks in advance, Bret..

[DaveMac]

I'm also a day-tripper who would like to see what the overnighters have to say about what and how to pack. I would also add, if OK with the OP, how you choose where to stop for the night. Is this something you plan beforehand or just random based on your knowledge of the river?

[GloryDaze]

Great question, ill share my packing set up.... fyi I have a canoe:

1) Two dry bags- one for clothes, one for tent and sleeping bag

2) folding chair

3) small Coleman single propane burner

4) tarp

5) cooler

6) water tight tote... it has all my "other items" pots, pans, baby wipes, cups, plates, rope, knife, charcoal

7) 1 gallon of water for each day

I plan on everything getting wet at some point or another but do my best to keep things dry. I used to have a kayak and the only real changes I had to make were downsizing on the cooler and not having the tote. Other than that, just had to get creative with storage.

If I'm familiar with a river I have a pretty good idea where along the way I will be camping. I also look at Google earth and try to find what looks like an area I may want to stop. But for the most part, I can estimate 1-2 miles per hour is my pace. So I generally have an idea prior to the trip on how many miles I want to cover each day.

Personally I'd prefer to find my camp with a few hours of daylight left. I just love getting camp set up, sitting by the river drinking a few cold ones. To me that's the most relaxing part of the day.

[Wayne SW/MO]

Well for me in a kayak its go small more than go light. Backpackers do both, but you don't have to do the light, small is light enough. I use a one burner stove, a water pot and small plates or bowls, generally one of each. The biggest problem in weight and space is water and I never take it, instead I use a purifier. With the purifier I have unlimited water and little space. You can drink out of the container you use to store water in. The new purifiers that are container and filter work real well. I start by using ice melt and then go to the cleanest water available. For food the Mountain House entrees, available at Wal Mart, are surprisingly good. They are also small and self contained. That takes care of one important issue, sustenance.

For shelter I have a Eureka backpacking tent and a light bag. A small pop up will work, I used one for years and the only concerns I had was breaking a pole which is why I went to the Eureka. A pad can make a big difference and I take one. The one I have doesn't require protection from water and can be carried exposed.

It doesn't hurt to have a small kit with knife, Gerber folding saw, fire starters and fire, compass ( Yeah I know the river runs one way, but only if you can stay on it ) medications for pain and sterilizing and a small first aid kit.

You should make a list of things you really think important, and trim it where necessary. It's easier to determine whats important days in advance rater than make quick decisions when packing. Which comes to the idea of putting things in one place days before you pack to leave.

[Ham]

So far, I haven't camped out of my Tarpon. I've only done over night trips out of a canoe, but I think it would be possible with the Coosa.

I would need to be very selective in what I brought and I'd also likely have to reduce the amount of my fishing gear.

X2 on a small single burner and the MH meal in a bag for the kayak trips.

In the canoe, we take a grill. BIG cooler. Big dry bag and multiple smaller drybags, chairs, etc, etc, etc I really don't skimp.

X2 on Google earth, but it helps if you've done the river previously. You need a good spot, but you also need that good spot to be in a certain area of the river.

Sooo much easier to talk about in person. Hopefully, we'll get to fish together and discuss it.

[Al Agnew]

I've had a list of stuff tacked up in my camping closet for many years. Here it is:

tent

ground cloth (for under the tent)

closed cell foam sleeping pad, 3/4 length

self-inflating sleeping pad (mine is almost 2 inches thick inflated)

sleeping bag

self-inflating pillow

one burner Coleman "backpacking" stove

aluminum bottle with extra Coleman fuel

set of nesting pots and pans

cooking utensils

plastic plates and cups

eating utensils

aluminum foil

paper towels

dish soap in small bottle

cooking oil in small bottle

cornmeal in small waterproof container

water purifier

rain gear

jacket

extra pants, shirts, socks, underwear

dry shoes

hat

extra clothing for cold weather if necessary

two flashlights

first aid kit

waterproof matches

camera gear/binoculars

fishing tackle

life jacket

sponge for getting water out of the bottom of the canoe

small camp chair

book to read

maps

extra paddle

sunglasses

breakfast food

lunch food

dinner food

beverages

snacks

all necessary dry bags

two coolers with ice

plastic tub for cooking stuff

I pare this list down as needed. For instance, in the summer, I usually don't carry cooking gear at all, and just eat cold food and beverages, but in cool to cold weather you need to have hot meals and drinks.

Basically in the summer, I carry two medium size coolers. One holds lunches (summer sausage, cheese, and potato chips) and beverages. The other holds dinners (cold grilled pork steaks or cold fried chicken, potato salad, and raw carrots most of the time) and snack cakes for breakfasts, along with a few more beverages. The second cooler only gets opened in the evening and early morning, so the ice in it lasts longer. I freeze ice in plastic soda bottles ahead of time, and as it melts from the first cooler it provides drinking water.

The tent, ground cloth, and sleeping pads go in one dry bag. I use a folding closed cell foam sleeping pad, and the self inflating one, which rolls into a fairly compact roll, with a velcro strap around the two to keep them tightly wrapped.

Sleeping bag, pillow, extra clothes, first aid kit, flashlights, and book go into another dry bag. And the sleeping bag goes in its own dry bag INSIDE the bigger bag...I want that bag to stay dry no matter what. Anything that doesn't fit but needs to be dry goes in a third, smaller dry bag. If I take maps, I have a waterproof clear map case. If I take more camera gear than just my waterproof point and shoot, it goes in a waterproof hard case.

In cold weather when I take cooking gear, it all goes into a plastic tub with a lid that seals fairly well, not completely waterproof but will keep out rain and drips. I sometimes use freeze-dried food, but often will just cook up something ahead of time that I can put in the cooler and will just need to heat up.

Of course, this is usually all in a solo canoe. If you have less room, you'll need to pare down on bulk. GOOD dry bags are a must! Also, if you're going to be doing this a lot, invest in good quality stuff, especially a good tent and bomb-proof dry bags, and if you plan on doing it in cold weather, you absolutely have to have the good tent and bomb-proof dry bags. Once you've gotten it all together, spend the time at home figuring out how to pack it in your boat.

Some people tie all their stuff into their boats. Others don't. I don't, but I make sure that everything I have--coolers, tub for cooking stuff, etc. have good latching lids that won't fly open and will mostly keep the water out for a while, so that it all floats. If the worst happens and you flip your boat, it's easier to get the boat back upright if it isn't loaded down with stuff, and then you can go chase down your gear. If I go in cold weather, however, I will put a set of extra clothing and matches in a GOOD waterproof bag that I strap to the thwart of the canoe, because I want to be able to get the boat out and then change clothes and start a fire as quickly as possible. Fortunately, I've never had to do it. Winter floating is all about minimizing risk. Don't go if the river is high, walk any riffle that looks the least bit scary, and WEAR your life jacket.

[Fish Ogre]

I did my first solo overnight float trip a few weeks ago.

I did it out of a "Drifter" model Ocean kayak.

I took the following items:

Tent (7' x 9' dome) packed in its own dedicated dry bag (a long thin one designed for a self inflating sleeping pad.

Air mattress,a battery powered air pump, fire starting supplies (paper, starter sticks etc) and a 6' x 8' tarp all packed in a 20 liter dry bag.

Sleeping bag, inflatable pillow, sheet & blanket all packed in a 20 liter dry bag.

Warm clothes, jacket, and a fresh set of clothing for the next day all packed in a 10 liter dry bag.

A large bulky camp chair.

My Kindle fire so I could read if needed.

A pair of sandals.

4 cigars.

And all of the normal stuff i take on a day trip (First aid kit, Toilet paper, bug spray, sunblock etc)

2 spinning rods, 1 fly rod and couple of tackle boxes.

I really only had to account for dinner the first night and breakfast in the morning so went pretty light on food.

I took a pack of hot dogs & buns for dinner and donuts and milk for breakfast.

I also packed plenty of snack foods (Can of cashews, beef jerky,chips etc.)

I cooked the the hot dogs over my camp fire using an extendable fork..

I think I took about 12 bottles of water, a few cans of soda and a large bottle of Gatorade and a 16 ounce jug of milk.

I froze 4 of the water bottles.

A few water bottles that and the food that did not need to be kept cold, just got tossed in with other stuff inside the kayak.

Here is pic of my loaded boat.

The majority of the stuff I took is inside the hull.

All that it in the tank well is my fishing stuff, the cooler, normal day trip stuff.

That is the bulky chair strapped across the back of the cooler.

Next time that I do an over nighter in similar weather conditions, I will take a sock hat to keep my head warm.

It got down into the low 40's that night and I got a little cold.

I use my tarp to cover my boat at night just keep the heavy dew from getting everything wet.

The key for me is using multiple small dry bags instead of fewer larger ones.

I am limited by the size of the front hatch.

I easily could have taken a camp stove or any other pieces of small equipment.

I actually brought a lot of my food and drinks home with me.

It was an awesome trip, I would highly recommend the experience to anyone one considering it.

[ollie]

I have done some overnighters in my Pam 100 and it was tight. Did a two nighter a few years back and didn't think I would make it due to weight! I won't due another double night like that again out of that boat! One nighters are fine, but 2 nights are harder. I take one dry bag with two small coolers and a hydration backpack as well. The pack holds adult beverage plus other snacks and such and the 2 coolers hold food and other drinks. mainly water for coffee in the morning. I normally don't fix anything at night except a sandwich that is packed in one cooler. The next morning will bring me coffee with biscuts and gravy. Snacks in between and some chips maybe. I take a Eureka pup tent that packs up real nice and easy along with an inflatable mattress or pad depending. I have a seat backer for sitting on by the fire. Make sure you have some kind of toilet paper to take as well! First aid kit is essential as well in my book. A tarp can come in handy too and is easy to store somewhere on the boat. Plan you trip like back packing and you should be fine. I have my list somewhere as well. I'll see if I can find it and post.

[Woodland Artisan]

... It's not really knowing what to take, but how do some of you guys pack it, and keep it dry ...

I've done a lot of solo overnighters and two-fers on a small kayak here in the Ozarks and Midwest. And, I'm working out plans for an early Spring 60-70 day trip next year so I'm giving these kinds of things some serious thought as well. Here's just a few tidbits I'll throw out there for your 1-2 overnight water trip here in the Ozarks soon (aka not in terribly cold weather and relatively close to 'civilization'). Different situations and conditions require (sometimes radically) different things than below ...

Water: People pack WAY too much water or WAY too little. Or just simply don't pack it correctly. Even in last years' (2012) horrible 100+ degree heat, I was able to keep a hydration bladder cold over 2 days without exterior ice or cooler. I was out last month (upper 80's) for 2 days and still had ice in the bladder and had to lay it on the kayaks' deck just to melt it! Just freeze about 1/3rd of it before the trip and fill it up before you leave. Pack that bladder between insulating items in your pack. I wrap what is, in essence, a foil lined semi-rigid tank insulation around it (which doubles as a wind-shield for the stove mentioned below and a few other things). It has air pockets all through it and insulates well. Around that, I wrap the packs' liner (which is trash compactor bags .. very durable!) when not using it for the liner usage. I do the same with 1 (and only 1) collapsible water bottle. I carry, at most, 2 liters of water for 48 hours in the Ozarks Fall for just floating or light flat-water paddling and fishing. If I need more, I use local water (NOT directly from the pond/lake/stream ... nature filtered methods) and boil it. If I'm still iffy about it, I chemically treat it. No modern filter.

Food: For a 1-2 night trip, I rarely take hot meals. No need to. Even in Winter. A warm tea (coffee for those inclined) is plenty for a morning or after an unexpected Winter dip. But, for those times where I do: Home dehydrated meals. Nothing fancy or expensive like those commercial ones. Mainly just leftovers where I made too much. I take 2, 1-quart ziplock bags and that'll do for 48 hours. The rest of the food is cold and has been well documented. I take 30% extra food as reserve anytime I go out and don't touch it unless I'm in terrible circumstances. I'm not one of those that treat outdoor trips like they should be fancy dinners at a restaurant. I go out there to get away from all of that. Just give me fuel to get to where I want to go or do what I want. I eat well (read "tasty" things) but I have no time or inclination to "dine well".

Stove: I take this anytime I go out. Even day trips. Not necessarily for food (see above) but for emergencies where I need to ensure my water is safe or need it heated for other reasons. I treat it as safety equipment. For this, I use a homemade alcohol stove. All fuel, utensils, fire making, primary windscreen and anything else related to that stoves' use fits inside the stove. The one I use for solo trips holds about 1.5 cups. The one I use for groups is 5 cups. The stove doubles as my cup/bowl as well. Why take something else? Just more to have to clean, store and haul.

General: As someone else pointed out: Good dry bags are a MUST. Even the best wear out. I replace them every couple of years as my safety depends on these almost as much as my knife. Other than a dry bag, I use compactor trash bags a lot. Very durable and they come in very large sizes. I use them as pack (even dry bags sometimes by rolling and taping) liners and even emergency ponchos, water carriers, etc. Even have used them as a liner inside the kayak to hold the dry bags/stuff sacks in there. Every bag I take has at least 2 1-gallon sized ziplock bags. Extremely useful little things! For kayak trips, I use many small bags rather than small bags. Much easier to pack inside a kayak. I also use a LOT of stuff sacks. Keeps everything organized and together. I have color codes for my bags, too. I always know, for instance, that blue bags are medical/emergency related bags. Makes a difference in a hurry or stressed situations. I never pack extra ice (cooler).

I don't pack any more clothes than a full set given the season and expected weather for a 1-2 day trip. 4-7 days and I'll pack an extra set of some pieces.

I never take a chair (other than what I'm sitting on in the kayak). I pack everything inside the kayak except for what absolutely MUST be gotten to while paddling. That keeps things dry ... the dry bags and vacuum sealing everything (including medical supplies, etc.) takes care of the 5% rest of the time. I don't treat the deck of the kayak like a floating barge. Way too dangerous and inefficient.

I pack into the kayak in this order .... Cooking/food, Camp stuff (hammock or tent as some are inclined, sleep bag, etc.), Clothes, Medical/survival.

For a 1-2 day paddling trip at this time of year here in the Ozarks, I wouldn't be taking anything more than I would for a hiking trip. Except for a few lures. 5 days and longer, I pack a bit more food and a few extra clothes. For my 60-70 day trip, I'm still thinking....

[Gavin]

I've attached an excel file. More gear than you need for an overnight...but subtract as needed...first tab is a gear checklist, second...contacts for all involved...should include nearby hospitals & emergency #s...third tab is the meal plan, last tab is for the map and float plan...usually add a tab for expected arrivals & departures...if folks aren't arriving/leaving at the same time.

Float Trip Playbook.xlsx