Canoeing and Paddling Gear Checklist

A tarp is nice

I AM LOOKING TO GO FROM PHILLY PA DOWN TO THE KEYS IN FLA ANYONE GOT SOME TIPS

Abe, in my experiences the river only flows one way, so no compass or GPS needed. I guess there are lake, swamp and sea canoeists out there too. It's just that this story specifically targets river running.

thats a great list. i cant wait to go on my conoe trip. i might tweak the list a bit though. :)

@ Kevin-I just completed a 34 mile Delaware Water Gap trip. I used wooden lightweight kayak paddles. I sailed along fine without a buddy. They were a life saver in windy situations. I just shifted the paddle farther to one side to make the directional correction in windy situations without breaking stride. I like them more then regular one person paddles. No changing sides or J stroke for me!

Just my opinion on this but the line should read compass and GPS even some of the companies suggest taking one along incase the GPS fails. A lot more can go wrong with a GPS than a compass. If you don't know how to work a compass then you have no business being out there.

You mat want something to bail water out of the boat like a half gallon milk jug cut in half and a sponge.

You mat want something to bail water out of the boat like a half gallon milk jug cut in half and a sponge.

I also suggest packing the most essential tool of all....a buddy. One must never forget them, especially when canoeing/kayaking/white water rafting....who are you going to get to paddle when you're tired? They also come in handy in a pinch when you're in a fix and need some help.

I also pack a chair, actually it's called a "sling chair". Try landing on a beach somewhere and there are no trees. Nothing to support your back against. And I wasn't able to get my backpack into my kayak hatches, so I didn't take that. EVERYTHING must be in water-tight bags.