Top 6 Basics of Wilderness Canoeing

So you have taken into consideration wilderness canoeing as a leisure time activity. It's a fantastic hobby to get straight into for a range of reasons. For instance there are usually wild places in the United States which usually are exclusively accessible by foot or by canoe and also if you consider to visit them you will be within only a few of people who have ever done so. It's fun because it is your own chance to get aside from the hustle and bustle of day-to-day life and feel a genuinely quiet and serene natural environment like never before, and not many people really comprehend what that is. And it is fun because it's a real camping in the real open air. Not the artificial kind in a recreational camper or cottage. But just before you get started on your backwoods canoe trip there are issues and concerns you ought to be aware of.


1. Have an itinerary before you launch the trip and stick to it. And always let "people" be aware of your itinerary and how many are inside your group. Most wilderness canoeing happens in a park region such as the Adirondacks or Boundary Waters and once I say "people" I am talking about the park authorities. Park offices often require forms to be done with date of departure and return, route, camping locations, and exactly how many within the party.

2. Have communication devices along with you. Today we have been sufficiently fortunate to have portable communication devices such as mobile phones, and although the notion of taking along a cell phone might not go along with you it may be a life-saver. And very often the cell phone doesn't receive a signal in remote locations so perhaps think about the most expensive satellite phone or tracking devices like the Find Me Spot. Keep in mind of having essential contact information along with you as well as your exact location in GPS and compass coordinates.

3. Know basic rescue and safety medical techniques. Perhaps it would be terrible to lose a paddling partner because you didn't get experience to treat his severe laceration or aren't able to give CPR to some drowning victim. Get some safety training before launching your trip inside the wilderness because severe accidents occur to paddlers every year which this time it can be someone in your group.

4. Don't be impatient with other people in the group, don't stroll from your group and always maintain the group together. It's tempting to go off and explore things of our own interest but when something happens to you (say a cardiac arrest) the coyotes and crows may get to you before any rescuers do.

5. Bear repellent may appear silly but each year there are actually injuries from wildlife encounters. Whether from bear, moose, or a pissed off opossum, a can of bear repellent or other sorts form of deterrent may come in usefull.

6. If security is actually an actual concern (say a group member with diabetes) seek out the professional advice of instructions and park rangers about the camping locations and routes with all the quickest rescue access. When you have medical issues it might not be wise to enter in the most remote territory but staying on the safer locations is preferable to not going whatsoever.